Pietermaritzburg - The budget for the Zulu royal household has seen a slight increase from the previous one after the KwaZulu-Natal government allocated it R79.565 million.
In the previous financial year, the budget was pegged at R66m after it was slightly cut when the provincial government was forced to curb its spending patterns after an economic downturn.
The latest budget was announced by the province’s premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, on Tuesday when she presented the budget of the Office of the Premier where the royal household is currently housed under the ANC government.
NEWS: The Zulu royal household will in the 2023/2024 financial year, get a provincial government allocation of R79.565 million. Delivering her budget speech in Pietermaritzburg a short while ago, KZN Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the money is for the King’s activities
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) April 18, 2023
This money does not go directly to the king’s pockets but it is used for Zulu queens' allowances, vehicle repairs, maintenance of the six palaces and salaries for support staff, and staging of cultural festivals, among other things.
However, the King does get a salary from the national government.
According to salary figures contained in a March 4, 2022 reply by former Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, to Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus, it was revealed that kings get paid R1.2m a year.
This translates to over R100 000 a month before tax and other statutory deductions.
Dlamini Zuma had said fringe benefits of all traditional leaders, including those of kings, were provided by their respective provincial governments.
WATCH: King Misuzulu speaking about the ongoing royal family divisions & litigation over the Zulu throne. This was on Sunday when he visited KwaSizabantu mission in Kranskop in the KZN Midlands to rekindle the relationship between the religious institution & the monarch. @IOL pic.twitter.com/UyOanPadoF
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) April 17, 2023
Her department did not have information on the movable and immovable fringe benefits each province provided to their kings.
While delivering her budget speech, Dube-Ncube did not dwell on how much the Zulu royal household will get, but merely told the provincial legislature in passing that some funds will go to it.
The R79.565m is contained in the written budget which she did not read in full, but she picked up some aspects of it.
“The sub-programme: Royal Household receives R 79 565m.
“The Office of the Premier supports the Royal Household Trust with funds being transferred accordingly.
“This sub-programme supported the Ukucocwa kweSilo ceremony, the handing over of the Certificate of His Majesty, the king’s activities including hosting of all annual traditional and cultural events to preserve and restore the Zulu culture.
“(The office of the premier) will continue to provide support to the Zulu Royal Household Trust, the Zulu Royal House 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,” reads the announcement as contained in the full budget speech.
Meanwhile, Dube-Ncube, while delivering her budget speech, said the provincial government has committed over R2 054 billion to rebuild infrastructure hit by the floods in April last year.
She said the biggest commitment of R1.7bn is for the Department of Transport to rebuild the road infrastructure network, most of which is still in disarray.
She added that over R400m has been spent already, with the Department of Transport spending over R250m of the funds.
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