Hosi Maswanganyi defends land allocations amid dispute

LIMPOPO – Hosi Maswanganyi is standing firm on the allocation of residential stands despite growing controversy from those claiming to be the rightful custodians of the land under his jurisdiction.

Since being officially recognised by Premier Stanley Mathabatha in 2020 and formally inaugurated into office in 2021, tensions between Maswanganyi and Hosi Nhlaniki have remained high. The dispute stems from the gazetting of several villages, formerly under Nhlaniki’s authority, into the Maswanganyi Traditional Council.

Although Nhlaniki has repeatedly challenged Maswanganyi’s installation as chief and even secured victories in some appeals, the matter remains unresolved. Maswanganyi insists he will not surrender what he believes rightfully belongs to him, claiming that Nhlaniki unlawfully controlled areas under his jurisdiction through the now-repealed Bantu Authorities Act of 1951, which was replaced in 2010 by Act No. 13 of 2010.

The latest flashpoint erupted when Headman Mashawu, under Maswanganyi’s authority, allocated stands to residents. This prompted strong opposition from another headman serving under Nhlaniki, who insists the land falls under Nhlaniki’s custodianship.

“The Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 was repealed and replaced by Act No. 13 of 2010,” said Gibson Siyasinke Maswanganyi, assistant to Headman Mashawu. “As we speak, the Nhlaniki Traditional Authority, which previously had powers under the old Act, no longer has such authority.

“The villages of Dzingidzingi, Dingamazi, Bode, Maswanganyi Xikhulu, Basani, and N’wamankena have been officially gazetted under the Maswanganyi Traditional Authority. However, because Nhlaniki held these areas under the provisions of the repealed Act, he still claims ownership,” he said.

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He urged all residents in the area not to be intimidated by recent developments.

“We are the legitimate authority, and those in need of residential sites should approach us directly. They should not be swayed by dogs barking from a distance,” he added.

But Headman Madzivandlela (Albert Maswanganyi), who reports to Hosi Nhlaniki, rejected the allocations outright, arguing that the land is under claim and its demarcation is therefore illegal.

“That land is proclaimed, and no one is permitted to demarcate stands there. Whatever they are doing is illegal,” he said. “I will even address this at the upcoming funeral service,” he continued, warning people not to fall for what he calls a scam.

“Anyone who has paid money for land there should seek to get their money back. If anyone wants land, they should come to our tribal office at Nhlaniki because this whole area belongs to the Nhlaniki Traditional Authority.”

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When asked about the repeal of the Bantu Authorities Act, Madzivandlela dismissed its relevance. “This whole area still belongs to Nhlaniki. There’s nothing like that. Whatever they are doing there is looting and illegal,” he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Maswanganyi Royal Office, Philip Baloyi, said their decision to demarcate stands was not about looting but addressing a pressing housing need in the area.

“We applied to the Greater Giyani Municipality in 2022 for assistance in demarcating a new extension after identifying the shortage of residential sites. After waiting three years without a response, we decided to do it ourselves,” Baloyi said.

Municipal spokesperson Steve Mavunda confirmed that the municipality was not involved in the demarcation.

“The municipality is committed to supporting traditional leaders in allocating residential sites in areas free of land disputes. However, we avoid involvement where there are disputes between traditional authorities, as this is outside the municipality’s jurisdiction,” said Mavunda.