Ingonyama Trust begins rent refunds to residents
The Ingonyama Trust Board has begun returning
money to residents who paid rent in an agreement ruled unlawful by the
Pietermaritzburg High Court.
The Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution challenged the ITB's lease agreements in 2021.
Rural residents were required to pay rent on land they already occupied under customary law.
The judgment directed the board to stop issuing the leases and to refund residents.
The ITB's vice chair, Linda Zama, said they have permission to occupy Ingonyama Trust land, in terms of the Trust Act.
"The previous board had unilaterally decided to cancel the permissions to occupy and convert those permissions to a lease agreement, which was procedurally incorrect because people were not consulted," said Zama.
READ: KZN govt secures Montclair lodge to house flood victims
"That is why the courts then decided against the Ingonyama trust."
Zama said they have begun tracing the affected beneficiaries.
"The easy approach, number one, is that we start with all the people who were represented by the Legal Resource Centre because those lawyers know who their clients are.
"The second approach is going to involve the Ingonyama Trust Board working hand in hand with traditional councils so that there is verification on the ground.
"They are located exactly where we are looking for these people," she added.
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
