Honourable Sibusiso Ndebele Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal
Legislature
19 April 2007
Chairperson
His Majesty the King
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Members of the Royal Family
Mayors and councillors
Amakhosi present
Director-General and Heads of Department
Excellencies
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It gives me great pleasure to present to this august house the Budget for
the Royal Household. I am pleased Mr Chairperson because as I pointed out in
2005 "for the first time since 1879, His Majesty the King would be formally
recognised with defined powers and roles by the government of KwaZulu-Natal and
Legislation." We also said then that, "the second objective is to re-establish
the monarchy as a symbol of pride and unity for the people of KwaZulu-Natal and
to transform the monarchy to be a vibrant asset, actively engaged in the
province's economic and social development."
We have made significant progress towards achieving this goal. Monarchies by
their very nature are custodians of our traditions and heritage. This is the
very reason that the present government has taken this significant stride of
passing the Traditional Leaders and Governance Act, Act 5 of 2005, that became
the first piece of legislation to give recognition to His Majesty the King and
the Royal Household, entrenches the Sovereignty of the Monarch and the Royal
family.
This government is not threatened by the autonomy of the monarch; instead it
wants to build this resource to a level at which the people of South Africa
generally and KwaZulu-Natal specifically will enjoy the pride that this
important institution brings to the Zulu Nation. The recognition of the
Monarchy as the custodian of the Zulu heritage within a democratic order is one
of the most important milestones in the preservation of our cultural norms and
value systems. Mr Speaker we have now positioned the Monarchy at the core of
all indigenous systems and this move ensures the continued relevance of this
institution and its value system for generations to come.
At the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) we gave an
undertaking that KwaZulu-Natal would give Constitutional and Legislative
recognition of His Majesty the King.
During this session this House will consider and pass the Royal Trust Bill.
The Department of Royal Household will for the foreseeable future continue to
co-exist with the soon to be established Royal Trust. But there are functions
that a government department like the Department of Royal Household cannot
perform. These can best be performed by a trust, for instance the building of a
capital base which can be invested for the benefit of the Royal Household.
Review of the past financial year
The past financial year was remarkable in that we managed to bring the
requirement for the establishment of a Royal Trust into the public domain.
Relevant stakeholders were afforded sufficient opportunity to debate and
provide input on the issue of the statutory Royal Trust. The role of the Royal
Trust will be to build an asset base to support the Royal Household. With the
passing of the required legislation in the very near future, we will appoint
the Board of Trustees whose terms of reference will include the provision of a
business plan for the creation of capital revenue to carryout the objectives of
the Royal Trust.
Source of funding for the Royal Trust that would be considered are:
* transfers from government
* royalties
* Ingonyama Trust levies
* tourism.
A government cannot accumulate reserves and invest money, but the Royal
Trust would be in a position to do so.
Under the direction of His Majesty the Trust will also draw a Civil List
reflecting the beneficiaries of the trust. This can be amended from time to
time as directed by His Majesty.
The past financial year also marked the beginning of a serious reappraisal
and assessment of our programmes. Notwithstanding these challenges, we made
some strides in the following areas:
* At the beginning of the past financial year, I presented the
Administration and Support Services Programme and outlined its core business as
"the provision of auxiliary services intended to assist His Majesty the King in
the execution of both statutory and customary roles and functions." I am happy
to announce today that the programme was able to provide support and deliver on
its mandate at a difficult time when new roles and functions were allocated to
His Majesty the King in terms of new legislation.
* Research was conducted into the historical basis of the KwaZulu Kingship and
a comprehensive report presented to the Nhlapho Commission by His Majesty the
King.
* General maintenance of the Palaces of the Royal Household continues and we
envisage transforming one of the palaces as a tourist attraction.
* We identified the cadastral boundaries of the Royal Household as well as
established the land holding status together with a draft turnaround strategy
in respect of these farms.
* The King has played a pivotal role in the promotion of the Nguni Cattle as a
brand.
Chairperson, for the year 2007/08 financial year, the Department of the
Royal Household is allocated an overall budget of R36,478 million. This
allocation is broken down into the following programmes:
Programme 1: Administration-Support Services to His Majesty the King
This programme will continue to provide the required support to His Majesty
the King and members of the Royal Family. The budget allocated is R20,174
million.
Programme 2: Planning and development
Chairperson, last year I reflected on the overall maintenance of the Royal
Household infrastructure, which includes the refurbishment of palaces. In this
regard the maintenance of the Royal palaces befitting the stature of the King
and the Royal Family will continue to be undertaken. This programme is
allocated R14,094 million.
Programme 3: His Majesty the King's farms
His Majesty the King's farms play a pivotal role towards the promotion of
the Nguni brand of cattle and also contribute towards the socio-economic
development of the province. We also know that the yield and produce from His
Majesty the King's farms is used when palaces cater for the vulnerable
communities. This programme is allocated R2,211 million
Chairperson, His Majesty the King, ladies and gentlemen this budget marks
the beginning of a new dimension in the management of the affairs of the Royal
Household. It fosters closer working relationships between the provincial
government and the highest level of the traditional leadership structure.
As government we are proud of the role we have played in the restoration of
dignity to the institution of traditional leadership in general. I wish to
assure all stakeholders that due process and consultation will be followed in
the transformation of the department. We have set specific milestones in the
transformation programme and these milestones form the basis of the performance
agreement, which has been finalised with the Head of Department. This approach
will enable us to track developments and delivery and facilitate accountability
in terms of this budget. I look forward to the successful implementation of all
our prioritised programme activities and in keeping with the theme of this
budget presentation, all our efforts are focused "towards sustainability in the
management of the Royal Household."
Masisukume Sakhe!
Wena WeNdlovu!
Issued by: Department of Royal Household, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial
Government
19 April 2007
