The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government is highly incensed and disgusted by the latest theatrics pulled by the Mayor of IFP-led Zululand District Municipality Thulasizwe Buthelezi, who has confessed to directing that water supply be disconnected at the KwaKhangel’amankengane Royal Palace.
The Zululand District Municipality, has opted to ignore all its debtors in its debt book including big businesses, farmers and instead gunned to restrict water to the KwaKhangel’amankengane Royal Palace, as a way of forcing the Royal Family to submit to Royal capture and bait for their cheap publicity stunts.
The Office of the Premier hereby provides proof that it had paid over a R1 million to the Zululand District Municipality despite not receiving an authentic billing system. In addition, there appears to be a dysfunctional inconsistent billing system on the part of the Zululand District Municipality.
A case in the period of five months (September 2021 to January 2022) the account statement shows that KwaKhangel’amankengane Palace incurred R81 169, 60 exactly each month totalling R405 848, 00.
In July and August, the bill incurred was R16 859,94 which is a huge discrepancy. Furthermore, invoices for KwaKhangel’amankengane Palace does not reflect monthly meter readings yet the government continued to pay as reflected in the attached payment stubs.
The attached proofs of payment expose the man of cloth Thulasizwe Buthelezi a modern-day Pharisee.
It is evidently clear that the dramatic theatrics to cut water at KwaKhangel’amakengane Royal Palace and the subsequent propaganda borrowed from his party lines are an attempt to deflect attention and downplay Premier Sihle Zikalala’s very successful and fruitful visit this week.
Under the leadership of Mayor Buthelezi, the Zululand Municipality is known for, to put it mildly, not to have covered itself in glory when it comes to water provision. It is, rather, unfortunate that given this not so flattering a record, Mayor Buthelezi has the gumption to test it at the KwaKhangel’amankengane Palace.
The Zululand District Municipality is associated with a long history of humiliating the Royal Family which dates back since the days of His Majesty the King Zwelithini kaBhekuZulu. This is an old Bantustan tactic intended to strong arm the Royal Family and coerce it to succumb to their control.
The question which beg answers is: Why the IFP led council is selective and only cuts-off water supply at the Royal Palace even through the Royal Household Trust has started settling any outstanding debts. Why selectively target the Royal Palace when you can engage directly with the government and you are part of the meetings? Why leave out everyone including business but go for the Royal Palace.
The truth is that the water bills related to Kwakhangel’amankengane Royal Palace are being paid and all departments owing municipalities have put a plan in place. This was communicated to Thulasizwe Buthelezi.
As the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal, we wish to set the record straight. There is no truth in the assertions that water bills related to Kwakhangel’amankengane Royal Palace are not being paid. What is disappointing about this decorated lie that exists in the realm of Mayor’s Buthelezi’s colourful imagination, is the fact that he acted in an unethical manner by taking issues that are being discussed within the confines of a Lekgotla and distort them with the sole aim of making cheap political capital.
It has never been heard of before that a Member of the Executive Council Lekgotla, would sit at such an intergovernmental strategic meeting meant to assist all spheres of governments to resolve issues of service delivery, but instead of contributing to deliberations, decide to be some kind of a “deep throat” who peddles falsehoods to advance a particular narrative that seeks to benefit his political party.
The citizens of KwaZulu-Natal are matured enough to see through Thulasizwe Buthelezi’s latest theatrics intended to earn him his few minutes of fame. Thulasizwe Buthelezi and his associates have a history of humiliating the late His Majesty King Zwelithini. He was at some point left stranded in a foreign country. This required the intervention of former President Nelson Mandela and former Premier Sbu Ndebele.
This latest punishment to the Royal Family is nothing but an act of revenge and history repeating itself. We expect these pranks to go into overdrive especially as the Royal Family continue be a bulwark of unity and refuse that its name be used to divide the nation. This is the beginning of the humiliation that was conquered before by this government and will be thwarted again.
Should the Zululand District fail to provide water as per its Constitutional obligation of being a water service authority, the province and national government will intervene immediately and seize the responsibility to provide uninterrupted supply.
Both Provincial and National government are investigating a plan to ensure that in future, Royal Palaces are not subjected to be at the back and call of commoners like Thulasizwe Buthelezi, who position themselves as demigods of the Royal Household and can decide based on their whims when they can have access to water or not.
The Zululand Municipality is known to be a spectacular failure in water provision as attested by many people in the District and it is laughable that it will now become popular and important at the expense of the Royal Family Palace.
Soon the Royal Palaces and the people of Zululand will be liberated from their water woes under Thulasizwe Buthelezi water reign of terror.