KwaZulu-Natal Premier Lionel Mtshali continued with his attempts to expose King Goodwill Zwelithini’s travelling habits this week by dragging former premier Ben Ngubane’s Department of Arts,Culture,Science and Technology into the controversy.
At the same time Zwelithini’s uncle, Prince Patrick Zulu, has called for an apology from the provincial government for bringing the monarchy into disrepute.
Addressing the premier’s portfolio committee in the legislature in Ulundi this week, Mtshali said the national Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology breached protocol earlier this month by arranging to fly Zwelithini to a state function in Vryheid without informing his office.
Also complaining was the head of the royal household, Bheki Gumbi, who informed committee members that even he had not been aware of the monarch’s eight planned trips for this month. Mtshali’s head of communications, Phumzile Nxumalo, said Gumbi reported that he had only heard about the flights ”through the grapevine”.
Mtshali placed an unprecedented full-page advertisement in the Sunday Tribune last week detailing the ”unauthorised flights” undertaken by Zwelithini. The flights were ”unauthorised”, he said, because Zwelithini’s office didn’t seek approval from his office, which is responsible for the monarchy’s affairs. Last week Mtshali accused the AfricanNationalCongress of undermining his authority by sanctioning Zwelithini’s flights.
In the incident Mtshali referred to this week, Ngubane’s department flew Zwelithini to Mthashana for the commemoration of the Anglo-Boer South African War on May 5 without clearing it with his office.
Ngubane told the Mail & Guardian his officials had assured him they had liaised with both Mtshali and Zwelithini. He said his office informed him that they were arranging for an army helicopter to fly the monarch, because it would also save money.
But sources revealed that Mtshali took offence that he was not personally invited to the commemoration by Ngubane, as ”befitting his status”.
Mtshali also told the committee Zwelithini’s office has yet to take delivery of the R1,8-million armoured Mercedes-Benz S500 bought for the monarch early this year. The vehicle has apparently been standing at a Pietermaritzburg shop for two months.
Prince Zulu, expressed outrage at the adverse publicity given to the monarch. He has called on Zulus to gather for an imbizo on June 2 at a venue yet to be finalised to address the issue.
The monarch, he said, was ”above party politics and did not belong to the House of Commons”. People of the Zulu nation should come together to protect the monarch’s honour.
New National Party leader in the province Tino Volker said the controversy has brought to the fore the urgent need to resolve the provincial constitution. This would for ”once and all deal with the status of the king”.