AS a reader of your newspaper, I recently came across a letter wherein concerns were raised about the R71-million allocated to His Majesty the King by the office of the premier.
The writer claimed there was no justification for this amount to be allocated.
Misguided people speak without verifying the facts and continue to attack a person who only receives a stipend, which amounts to far less than the salary paid to ordinary members of parliament.
From the R7-million that has become a bone of contention, a portion is for staff salaries attached to the royal household, and a portion for maintaining the household.
I would like to offer a free lesson to those who question the role of His Majesty the King.
He is a symbol of unity, attracting tourists from around the world, promoting social cohesion and the importance of education, spearheading development, particularly in agriculture, advocating healthy lifestyles and is responsible for installing the Amakhosi.
The royal household is a branch of the office of the premier in KZN, led by Professor Sihawu Ngubane and seven board members of the trust.
Its purpose is ‘to render services in an effective and efficient manner to the royal family’.
There is a chief directorate in the office of the premier that is responsible for the affairs of the royal family and His Majesty the King, which has a chief financial officer – the accounting officer being none other than the director general in the premier’s office.
Then there is a political head that oversees this entity, which is the premier himself.
More than anything, the finance department is responsible for all the finances in the province.
His Majesty is not personally involved in determining the funding allocated to the royal household.
One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know that a board cannot be a single person – members from different sectors are appointed to serve in that capacity, with the intention of ensuring that the institution fulfils its mandate diligently.
It is true that the King is the sole trustee of the Ingonyama Trust, but he is not directly involved in handling its affairs and operations.
Judge Jerome Ngwenya is the chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust. A former High Court judge, he represents His Majesty and has a fully-fledged legislated administration with the CEO, CFO and other staff members managing the trust.
Therefore, it is misleading to claim that the King is a sole trustee as if that means he runs it alone.
It appears to be a deliberate action to attack a person who is not responsible for finance.
It is high time that His Majesty the King is afforded the respect that befits his status, as is the case with other monarchs around the world.
People must not forget that they are talking about the descendant of King Shaka, the founder of the Zulu nation.
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