MONENI DISPUTE DEPRIVES OVER100 HOMES OF ELECTRICITY

MANZINI – Over 100 homesteads have been in darkness following challenges in getting electricity supply due to a dispute between the Moneni and Lwandle chiefdoms.

Some residents who reside on Farm no.9, popularly known as ‘The Peebles Block’ in Moneni, have been wrought with conflict following the long-standing dispute between Lwandle and Moneni areas. ‘The Peebles Block’ is believed to be at the centre of both Moneni and Lwandle, and according to an order issued by Manzini King’s Liasion Officer Thamsanqa Thikazi, residents of Farm No. 9 are expected to pledge allegiance to the Lwandle umphakatsi. All along, Prince Mshoshi II, also known as Polycarp Dlamini, has been the overseer at Moneni, while Lwandle is under the leadership of Chief Nkamane Mkhatshwa.

Moneni is the same area where there is contestation of a farm belonging to the King, known as Farm No.9. It is said Prince Mshoshi II and Chief Nkamane had allocated a piece of land to residents, while it was ruled that Chief Nkamane was the rightful authority to allocate the land. According to the court, residents of this area had to pay allegiance to Lwandle umphakatsi, due to the fact that most residents of Moneni had chief code from Lwandle.

However, while the rulings were made and life appeared to return to normal, over 100 residents of Farm no. 9 have expressed their dissatisfaction at being sidelined when seeking certain services, such as obtaining letters to install electricity poles in their area. In 2017, some of the residents were allocated land in the area called Luhlelisweni by libandla, which was led by former Indvuna Yenkhundla Henry Nene, which is an area on Farm No.9, which is between Moneni and Masekweni. It is said that after being allocated the land, the residents went to the Moneni umphakatsi, which is overseen by Prince Mshoshi III, where they paid their allegiance in the form of E20 000, after which the plots were allocated.

After a ceremony was held, the residents were advised to build structures on their plots, however, while building the structures, the residents claimed that police officers arrived, delivered summons to the effect that it was illegal for them to build structures when the land they were building on was unlawfully allocated to them. Those summons, it is alleged, were issued by officials from Lwandle, who alleged that the land had been wrongfully allocated to them. Confused about these latest developments, the residents are said to have then approached the Moneni chiefdom, where they questioned the former Indvuna about the allocation of the land. However, the former Indvuna is alleged to have assured them that the land was under Moneni chiefdom, and they should continue building the structures.

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