Durban - Opposition parties in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature have questioned the government’s commitment to making the Zulu royal household financially sustainable through the provision of necessary support to the institution.
This follows Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s announcement yesterday that her government would allocate R79.5 million to the royal household as part of support to the institution.
Dube-Ncube told Members of the Provincial Legislature (MPLs) that the funds would be transferred to the Royal Household Trust, which is a special purpose vehicle that governs the household’s funds, saying the government would continue its support as it regarded the royal household as a critical pillar in the province.
“The Office of the Premier will continue to provide support to the Zulu Royal Household Trust, the Zulu royal household and His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, who is a critical pillar for the protection and propagation of our culture and heritage, and custodian of values and norms in our province,” she told the sitting.
Some of the funds, according to Dube-Ncube, were set to go towards the king’s activities, including the hosting of all annual traditional and cultural events to preserve and restore Zulu culture. The premier did not dwell much on the form of support that the government would be providing to ensure the financial sustainability of the institution.
While this year’s allocation is an increase on the R67 million allocated to the household last year, opposition parties questioned the government’s commitment to assisting the royal institution.
DA MPL Elma Rabe challenged the government to provide a concrete plan to make the royal household sustainable, insisting that while this had been mentioned over the past years there was no evidence of a plan.
“The king, in his address at the opening of the Legislature earlier this year, said that one of his main focuses would be on boosting tourism and employment opportunities in KZN. We as the DA 100% support this, but, and it’s a big but, the Office of the Premier has made no attempt to date to assist the monarchy to become self-sufficient.”
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa expressed the party’s support to King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and the royal household, and raised concern over recent developments, especially the welfare of the late king’s wives.
“It is a matter of concern that the security personnel in the royal households have been removed, the queens to the late king do not have any security attached to them,” said Hlabisa.
The EFF’s Mongezi Thwala said the Zulu Royal Household Trust had not succeeded in carrying out its programme to be sustainable.
“We call on the premier to exercise oversight over the trust to ensure that it fulfils this important mandate, which is revenue generation. As the EFF we will gladly suggest that if this trust cannot perform this main function, then cogent actions need to be taken,” he said.
Thwala also called on the government to present a plan to build a palace for the king, but expressed pessimism about this, citing the premier’s limited political power. “As the EFF we understand that this premier is a ‘toothless lioness’ given the circumstances around which she was given this position. We think these circumstances compromise her in that her hands are tied when it comes to reining in certain individuals in her executive council.”