Pietermaritzburg - King Goodwill Zwelithini used the official opening of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature to criticise the decision by SAA's business rescue practitioners to cancel the state-owned airline's flights to Durban, saying it would destroy the province’s tourism industry and economy.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala had previously expressed discontent about SAA’s decision, which came into effect at the weekend.
“This decision will lead to disaster, and prompts one to ask what this means for KZN,” Zwelithini said in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday.
“Zikalala rejected this decision; I am also rejecting it because this would affect us very badly, especially when it comes to tourism and in conducting business. It could destroy the province’s economy.”
He maintained that if the provincial cabinet did not take action regarding SAA’s decision, the province could land in a serious economic crisis.
He also announced that during his visit to the UK last year, he signed a deal with Prince Charles that would see a huge dam and a power station being built in KZN.
“We discussed my dream of this province having a big dam to collect water from small rivers that are connected to the Tugela River,” he said.
The king explained that the dam, which he said would “the biggest on the continent”, would benefit communities of towns such as Eshowe, Stanger, Greytown, Richards Bay and Ballito.