The AmaZulu Royal household will receive over R66-million in 2019.
The amount is an increase of just under R1-million compared to the previous financial year.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala delivered his office’s budget in the Pietermaritzburg Legislature on Thursday.
Zikalala says Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini is an important unifier in the country.
“This is sufficient for the current financial year and we will be working to ensure that it is utilised effectively,” Zikalala said.
The official opposition, the IFP, however says the current R66.7-million funding isn’t enough.
“We believe that more allocation should be done looking forward to ensure that Royal Household is able to execute all its cultural activities and obligations it has in the Zulu nation in KwaZulu-Natal,” said the IFP’s Velenkosini Hlabisa.
But other parties are having none of it.
The staggering amount comes from taxpayers and the DA has slammed it as ludicrous.
“It’s high time where a king can reach a point where he can be independent and leave outside of coffers of public funds,” said DA KZN leader Zwakele Mncwango.
The EFF says that the royal household should be self-sustaining.
“We are going to interrogate this in the committee level and find out if we are still going to be putting money to the Royal Household because by now it should be self-sustaining because it has a trust that should be raining resources,” EFF KZN leader Vusi Khoza said.
Zikalala says the provincial government is resuscitating the much talked about Royal Household Trust to generate revenue for the king and the royal house to be self-sustainable.
