Times Of Swaziland: WIDOW FAILS TO PAY E8K FOR SON’S KUKHONTA, ARRESTED

WIDOW FAILS TO PAY E8K FOR SON’S KUKHONTA, ARRESTED
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Gcinile Phungwayo on 21/11/2024 07:48:00


MBABANE – An elderly widow has been arrested for alleged failure to comply
with a directive to pay E8 000 for her son’s kukhonta within her premises.
Lomfa Umphakatsi is situated in Hlatikhulu under the KuMethula Inkhundla. Busi
Dlamini (64) told this publication that she was arrested by Hlatikhulu police
around 5am yesterday morning and charged under Section 13(2) of the Swazi
Administration Act No.79 of 1950. Dlamini alleged that her son sought permission
from his father before his death to build a house on the premises, which she
claims is less than 100 metres from the main house. She said her late husband, a
bandlancane member in the umphakatsi, never received such a directive.
The umphakatsi of the area is alleged to have summoned her four times, but she
purportedly did not show up on any of those occasions.
Summoned
She refuted that she was summoned four times and failed to appear. She, however,
acknowledged being summoned once and provided a reason for her absence, citing
that she had gone to attend a funeral. She insisted that she only missed a
meeting after being advised against attending and that she informed the
umphakatsi that she would attend a funeral.
Dlamini alleged that she was told to pay E8 000 for her son’s kukhonta despite
her claims of financial hardship and her status as a daughter-in-law in the
home.
She questioned why other homesteads with sons and daughters who have built
houses on their premises are not facing similar charges. She claimed to have
been denied leniency and told that the chief required the money to be deposited
into his Mobile Money (MoMo) account.
Dlamini decried that she is being mistreated because she is a widow, including
being arrested early in the morning. She criticised the umphakatsi for hindering
the development of homes and called for a constitutional provision specifying
fees for building on one’s premises.Dlamini claimed that neither she nor her
children were given a hearing and were purportedly simply instructed to pay the
money.
Reduced
She said the amount was reduced to E5 000 and she did not have the money.She
further stated that the umgijimi and inner council never measured the distance
between her son’s house and the main house.Following her release from the
police station, Dlamini was instructed to return on Monday and was advised to
find a solution with the complainant.
A reliable source expressed anger at the widow’s arrest, highlighting that her
late husband was a member of the inner council and that the house in question is
very close to the main house. The source said the current fee being demanded is
not the same as the initial amount.She alleged that even if the elderly woman
was wrong, she did not deserve to be taken by a police van so early in the
morning.She said this is emotional abuse and regarded it as bad luck. She
wondered who will cleanse the widow.
Planning
“As widows, we suffer in this community. We are even planning to march to the
umphakatsi to get answers,” said the source.A reliable source confirmed the
fee and highlighted that one pays E5 000 when building a house within their
family premises, and E8 000 when a resident is allocated land within the same
umphakatsi. However, an outsider who is allocated in the umphakatsi pays E10
000. The source acknowledged that the widow was summoned to the umphakatsi but
that no solution was reached.Lomfa Umphakatsi’s Indvuna Yemcuba Velenkhosini
Msibi disputed the claim that the widow was arrested for failing to pay E8 000,
stating that the arrest was due to her failure to appear at the umphakatsi when
summoned. Msibi accused the widow of disrespecting the chief and confirmed her
arrest early yesterday morning. However, he claimed ignorance of the
proceedings.When asked about the reason for the summons, Msibi stated that they
wanted to know who authorised her son to build the house, as it is located far
from the premises. He also denied claims made on social media and accused one of
the online publications of attempting to tarnish the chief’s reputation.
Confirmed
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent
Phindile Vilakati confirmed the matter. She stated that she was charged under
Section 13(2) of the Swazi Administration Act No.79 of 1950.Umhluma Widows
Foundation Executive Director Lungelo Zulu, said he does not believe that one
should khonta twice. “If I am building a house on the premises, I am not
expected to khonta because my father has done it. If we are 10 sons, we will
build our houses without kukhonta,” Zulu stated.He emphasised that if a family
cannot afford kukhonta, the umphakatsi should find a way to perform kuhlehla. He
argued that the woman in question has committed no crime and that her arrest for
failure to khonta twice is unjustified, as there is no law requiring such. He
deemed these actions as wrong and highlighted that they often target vulnerable
individuals.Zulu suggested that these matters should be handled appropriately
through the Eswatini courts and Ndabazabantu, as he believes it constitutes a
crime. He pledged to intervene in the issue, starting today, by engaging with
the Regional Administrator and Ndabazabantu.