A KwaZulu-Natal traditional leader has sent a strong message to the ANC and former interim president Kgalema Motlanthe, warning against any interference with the land administered by the Ingonyama Trust.

Speaking at the funeral of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, iNkosi Bhekizwe Biyela, representing KZN traditional leaders, said: "This land is a symbol of our heritage, snatched from us by colonial rule in 1913. By 1994, here in KZN, we were fortunate enough to reclaim it."

In 2019, a panel of experts led by Motlanthe, recommended that the Ingonyama Trust Act -- which placed KZN's rural land under the control of the Zulu King -- should either be amended or repealed. Motlanthe, in attendance at the funeral, listened intently as Biyela spoke.

The iNkosi further urged King Misuzulu kaZwelithini to safeguard the Trust and to prevent elements aiming to seize it.

Comprising almost three million hectares, the communally owned Trust land makes up almost a third of the total land in the province and accommodates about five million people.

Banks cannot repossess any property on Trust land. This safety net came in when the government's attempt to repossess former president Jacob Zuma's R250-million Nkandla homestead was stopped. There was no title deed for the property -- only permission to occupy papers.

The tension between Motlanthe and the late King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu worsened after the high-level panel's report, with a song titled "UMotlanthe uyedelela" (Motlanthe is disrespectful to our land).