By Zweli Martin Dlamini

The right to own land is enshrined in the Constitution and this fundamental right, should not be violated by greedy and corrupt Chiefs like Indvuna Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo who collects twenty-one thousand Rands(R21,000.00) from emaSwati as ‘Inkhomo yekuKhonta”.

Then term “Swazi Nation Land” means the land belongs to all of us as emaSwati, the rich and the poor must enjoy the right to own land in their country.

Parliament must regulate the price of “Inkhomo yeKukhonta” and introduce a reasonable amount so that even the poor and vulnerable can afford to apply for a piece of land through “kukhonta”.

What Indvuna Mashampu Khumalo is doing at Ezulwini is an indication that, this country is becoming a property of the rich, powerful and politically connected, Chiefs must know that they don’t own the land in this country.

But as representatives of the institution of the Monarchy, they are overseeing it in trust for the Eswatini Nation and therefore, allocation of land should not be expensive.

Land is the pillar of the right to life and in a country where about 70% of the population lives below the poverty line, how do you expect emaSwati to afford R21,000.00 for “kukhonta?”.

In conclusion, let me further remind some Chiefs that, women have the right to land in this country and, they don’t need the authority of men, husbands or boyfriends to qualify for land through “kuKhonta”.

But let me applaud all the Chiefs who allocate land to women without humiliating them and demanding answers why “they are not married”.

Furthermore, ‘Batfwana betintfombi or bomshana’ who grew-up within their unmarried mothers’ parental homes, are children just like all other children and therefore, uMphakatsi have no authority whatsoever, to demand money or the so called “inkhomo yeMgodzi” from emaSwati who want to bury BoMshana.

Our eSwatini culture does not discriminate women and children,this is only done by greedy Chiefs who want to accumulate wealth by robbing the poor and vulnerable.

Indvuna Sifiso Mashampu Khumalo is one of those ‘corrupts thugs’ enriching themselves by robbing the poor and vulnerable at Ezulwini.