King slams officials over palace funding

King Goodwill Zwelithini says he is not living large at the expense of taxpayers – and denies having asked the legislature for money.

The king’s lifestyle was thrust into the spotlight last week after a request was made for an R18 million palace for his young Queen Zola Mafu.

However, the Zulu monarch has denied making the request and has blamed the government-run Department of Royal Household.

“I am sick and tired of the royal house’s name being embroiled in a controversy by officials who fail to handle their affairs. I have noticed that on several occasions when government officials fail to answer questions relating to their work, they hide behind my name and that of the royal house. It is not the first time we hear that officials request money from the government to repair the palaces,” he said.

The king said many people would be surprised to learn that all the money that was always said to be budgeted for him, in fact, ended up taking care of the officials of the department and did not to go to him.

He was disgusted with the manner in which the government dealt with royal affairs.

“We ask ourselves questions such as which are these palaces and why is it taking so long to repair them because we are unaware of it. It does not go down well that year in and year out we are told that the same palace is being repaired but it never happens,” he said.

King Zwelithini said he suspected some people had the impression that all roads led to his palaces and the doors of the palaces were made of gold.

He challenged KZN director-general Nhlanhla Ngidi who, with his delegation, had made the proposal for an additional R18 million to build the queen’s palace.

“I want Ngidi to clarify when I asked them to go to the legislature to make the requests that they are reported to have made on behalf of the Royal House.”

Ngidi defended the decision, saying the request for funding was part of the operational matters of the government.

“It looks at needs of the Royal Household, and one of its duties is the upkeep of royal palaces. The department then makes suggestions to the portfolio committee and Treasury on what is needed to keep these palaces in good condition,” said Ngidi.

The Royal Household budget is R59.5 million, which increased from R55m last year despite having overspent by R3.4m. Of the current budget R35.2m goes to the support services of the king, including his salary of R978 321.

The budget is also spent on salaries for the king’s staff and administrative work.

About R20.5m is set aside for planning and development on capital infrastructure projects including the renovation and refurbishment of the royal palaces, while R4m is for the upkeep of the king’s farms.

Nhlanhla Mtaka, executive director of Ingabadi Group, a political think-tank, and a member of the newly established King Zwelithini Foundation, said that while the king has no problem being criticised, he takes umbrage at being questioned about his affairs.

“The king has called on the legislators to visit his palaces and residences and witness for themselves the appalling conditions they are in,” said Mtaka.

Mtaka said people were discussing the issues of the king on the wrong premise that borders on ignorance and arrogance. The issue of palaces was not simply an issue of going out and looking for any house or flat.

“The concept of isigodlo (a palace) should be looked at in the manner of the Vatican, which does not belong to the Pope but to Catholics; and Mecca, which does not belong to the Saudis, but to all Muslims. Thus the palace is not an individual property, but a facility for the nation, it’s a spiritual and a birth claim. It is a place for the living, the dead and the yet-to-be born. It has been understood and known like that from time immemorial,” said Mtaka.

The king said he had also written to the Speaker of the Legislature, Peggy Nkonyeni.

But Nkonyeni’s spokesperson Wonder Hlongwa said the Speaker’s office had not received the letter. “As soon as we receive it we shall duly attend to whatever issues His Majesty raises,” said Hlongwa. - Sunday Tribune