NEWSFIRE
KZN premier Zweli Mkhize
File photo: Greg Nicolson
Pietermaritzburg – The Zulu royal palaces need money for refurbishing again. This year, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature has allocated R20.5 million for the job, compared to R15m in the previous financial year.
This was necessary, said Premier Zweli Mkhize at the presentation of the king’s budget in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, as the palaces were in a state of disrepair and no longer provided suitable accommodation.
The total budget for the royal household was R63.3m.
Mkhize said all seven palaces – Dlamahlahla, KwaKhangela, Ingwavuma, Ondini, Lindizulu, KwaKhetha and Nyokeni – were dilapidated.
The R20.5m would be used for “the overall maintenance of the royal household infrastructure including the refurbishment of palaces”.
When opposition parties suggested new palaces might be cheaper, Mkhize said renovation was the only viable way forward as new palaces would be “too expensive”.
“That would cost tens of millions of rand, and the DA would be the one making bigger noise in the media,” he said.
The R15m from the previous financial year had been used for the construction of five rondavels – one of them a double storey – a garage with living quarters and a cool room.
The money had also been used to renovate and extend existing houses and to install a generator.
Outstanding projects that still needed attention were water reticulation, paving and major renovations of the entire palace of KwaKhangela.
At Nyokeni, in Nongoma, which is where major events such the reed dance take place, new air conditioners and geysers would be installed and broken doors and windows would be replaced. Security lights would be upgraded.
The king’s support services were allocated R39m – mostly for administration.
The king’s farms, which had been expected to generate their own revenue, were allocated R3.7m.
Out of 12 farms, Mkhize said, only two, Thokazi and Zwartkop, were able to operate, as others, which were identified by the royal family, were not suitable for agriculture.
“A feasibility study on these farms and domestic fields was conducted by the Department of Agriculture. They were found to be high risk and not economically viable.
“They are small, in poor condition, some are overgrazed with sebaceous soil layers, they have no irrigation, no animal handling infrastructure and limited water resources,” he said.
He said Thokazi and Zwartkop were used for livestock production, and had 127 head of cattle.
The move to make the royal household sustain itself saw the establishment of the Royal Household Trust in 2009.
The trust was recently registered as a public entity and was allocated R10.5m last year.
Mkhize said the trust would take several years to start generating revenue.
* The premier also presented the budget for his office, which amounted to R620.8m.
In his presentation, he bemoaned the slow pace of resolving corruption cases, saying he had written to the minister of justice and constitutional development to say there was a shortage of prosecutors in the province, but the minister disagreed.
Mkhize said the provincial government together with the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit, the police, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Asset Forfeiture Unit had concluded a number of fraud cases involving billions of rand.
“We would like to see more criminals sitting behind bars and the stolen loot being returned to the public purse,” he said.
bongani.hans@inl.co.za
The Mercury
