The monarchy is a symbol of unity

Last week Premier Senzo Mchunu, left, announced that the province has reduced King Goodwill Zwelithini's budget by R9 million, but he stressed that this would not jeopardise the welfare of the king. Picture: Supplied

Last week Premier Senzo Mchunu, left, announced that the province has reduced King Goodwill Zwelithini's budget by R9 million, but he stressed that this would not jeopardise the welfare of the king. Picture: Supplied

Published Apr 26, 2016

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We reject reckless reporting and criticism of his majesty King Zwelithini by the media, writes Ndabezinhle Sibiya

Over the past few days, media houses including the Daily News reported extensively about KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu’s plans to improve the image of the monarchy.

This follows the presentation of Budget Vote 1 for the Office of the Premier which was approved after a debate by all political parties represented in the legislature.

While Mchunu welcomed the debate in the legislature, he however cautioned some leaders of political parties and implored them to stop thrashing the image of the monarchy.

We have also observed that unsuspecting journalists and newsrooms have been “captured” and used as part of a campaign aimed at painting a picture of a leader who has no tasks or responsibilities to fulfil.  We are always bombarded with selective media reports that are clearly aimed at pitting his majesty against the nation.

Some time last year, a political party which I won’t name issued a statement calling for “the committee to establish the terms of reference for the king’s roles and responsibilities in KZN”.

We were not shocked when approached by the media to respond to such a statement because there have always been attempts to wipe out the institution of traditional leadership. During colonisation many laws were introduced to topple traditional leaders who resisted orders from the colonisers.

King Dinuzulu and about 25 amakhosi and izinduna, were banished to St Helena Island for their participation in the revolt against poll tax – the Bhambatha Rebellion in 1907. His majesty is the direct descendant of the kings of the Zulu – King Dingane, King Cetshwayo and King Dinuzulu. It is those three kings whose reign was seriously impacted upon by the arrival of the European settler regimes.

Many authors and writers always point out that historically, traditional leadership has been at the centre of African people for centuries. Any genuine history of black man is incomplete without references to traditional leadership.

We are told that our great-grandfathers survived many hardships and battlefields under the guidance of their traditional leadership. Historians tell us that many of the tribes could have been wiped off completely during the old days if they did not have traditional leadership.

The role of traditional leadership was to protect their subjects, provide leadership and fight against any form of disintegration by external forces.

We are told by authors, that enemies had to think twice when invading the land under the stewardship of traditional leadership. Traditional leadership played a vital role in mobilising their subjects to remain formidable forces against any aggression.

We salute his majesty for his bold leadership over the years. He has withstood difficulties and it is for this reason that we have a very strong institution of traditional leadership in this province.

Contrary to the apartheid government, since 1994 the ANC-led government has introduced pieces of legislation in recognition of the institution of traditional leadership. This has always been met with resistance, with some political parties even stating boldly that there was no need for the traditional leadership institutions because South Africa was a democratic country.

We would have experienced bloodshed had it not been for his majesty, who together with our former president Tata Nelson Mandela preached peace and stability in this province. There have been calls for his majesty to be part of efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability at Glebelands and KwaMashu hostels.

Ordinary people of this province understand that his majesty has over the years been the champion of rural development. His majesty has an annual schedule of events and service delivery programmes which is developed in consultation with government departments.

He spends most of the year implementing such programmes and engaging leaders from across society, chief executive officers, traditional and religious leaders and NGOs to ensure unity of purpose.

In this regard, the Office of the Premier under the leadership of Premier Senzo Mchunu becomes critical in terms of ensuring the provision of administrative and auxiliary services to his majesty and the royal family to enable them to execute these programmes.

Reports in the media have sought to create an impression that the budget allocated by the provincial government is solely for the personal use of his majesty and the royal household. This was the case during previous terms of office of former premiers Sibusiso Ndebele and Dr Zweli Mkhize.

Contrary to negative reports, many communities across the province and the country that have had the pleasure of meeting his majesty will attest to his hard working ethic and his disdain for indolence. He has always been an advocate for socio-economic development and decent education for our children and the provision of infrastructure – roads, water and electricity – to rural areas.

A tireless campaigner for women’s rights and the fight against domestic violence, his majesty has used every platform to criticise men for excessive drinking, describing alcohol and drugs as a menace to society and that such men who drink excessively neglect their families, especially children.

As an elder, his majesty has often castigated, without fear or favour, those entrusted with official responsibility – stating that remaining in air-conditioned offices should come to an end.

As part of a turnaround strategy Mchunu has ensured there is regular interaction with the office of the auditor-general. This has assisted to deal with weaknesses in relation to the management of the affairs of the royal household.  

We are always inundated with requests from people across the world who want to be presented to his majesty. Over the years his majesty has hosted guests of international note, giving the world a taste of our rich heritage and a glimpse of our history.

When international heads of states or potential investors visit royal palaces to meet his majesty, they are the responsibility of the government. Public engagements by the monarch attract positive publicity for our province. We need to understand that this appearance always creates a unique and appealing image of the province, generating more interest for tourists and investors alike. It is for this reason that the image of the royal household and the palaces has to be upgraded to offer an appeal consistent with the profile we desire for our province.

His majesty has hosted, on behalf of the South African government and the people of this country high-profile guests of international note such as Prince Charles. The British are a very critical nation, but they take care not to trash their pride, the British monarchy.

We have always indicated the value of the monarch as an important feature of our democracy and we are calling on the people of this province to tap into its maximum value the embodiment of our unique African heritage and conjoint representation of our rich history and our contemporary democratic dispensation.

Every time Isilo addresses a meeting or a function, he always refers to himself as a father. While the provincial government recognises the rights of individuals and groups to freedom of expression, we do not believe that these rights will be endangered by critically learning more about the positive values of the monarchy.

Importantly, we have always welcomed constructive criticism from the media. 

However, we reject reckless reporting and destructive criticism that seek to destroy what we consider a symbol of peace, reconciliation and unity of our people.

* Sibiya: is the spokesman for Premier Senzo Mchunu.

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