Parliament, Wednesday, 5 February 2020 – The Select Committee on Petitions and Executive Undertakings will soon be able to respond to Mr Votani Majola’s petition that was submitted to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) where he claims that his nation, the Thembuland Royal Empire, were the original owners of the land covering the whole of South Africa.
The petition was submitted to the NCOP in 2018 and referred to the select committee for further processing and consideration. In processing the petition, the committee invited the petitioner and other stakeholders for further inputs before compiling a report, which will soon be tabled and debated in a sitting of the NCOP.
Committee Chairperson, Ms Zukiswa Ncitha, says the committee has complied with all the requirements of processing a petition and will soon be able to respond to the petitioner.
“We have looked at all the issues and found out that at the crust of the petition is the issue of land, but also without undermining the issues of housing, public works and complaints about the Eastern Cape Office of the Premier, which he also raises and a number of political dissatisfaction and complaints,” said the Chairperson.
The Chairperson says the committee is unable to make any move on the issue of land because of the process that is underway in the National Assembly on the possible amendment of section 25 of the Constitution, to allow for land expropriation without compensation.
“As soon as the National Assembly completes that process, we will be able to respond to the petitioner. We will communicate that to the petitioner and respond to the other matters,” the Chairperson said.
In the petition Mr Majola, who calls himself Emperor Thembu II of the AbaThembu Royal Empire, submitted that he represents AbaThembu from all the nine provinces and claims that AbaThembu were the first to arrive in South Africa more than 2,300 years ago.
According to the petitioner, all the nine South African Provinces belong to the Nation of AbaThembu.
He submitted that this is informed by a variety of factors that include, but are not limited to, historical factors, heritage factors, traditional factors, cultural factors and many more.
He further suggests that a genuine debate on land must start with the original land owners who are the AbaThembu Nation.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS AND EXECUTIVE UNDERTAKINGS, MS ZUKISWA NCITHA.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Name: Sakhile Mokoena
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 2804
Cell: 081 705 2130
E-mail: smokoena@parliament.gov.za
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