Traditional leaders now cost taxpayers R140m

[xrapidx]

WTF - I didn't even know I was paying their salary - Great country we live in.

Traditional leaders now cost taxpayers R140m
November 27, 2008

By Donwald Pressly

Cape Town - The salaries of South Africa's royal families and senior traditional leaders are costing the taxpayer at least R140 million a year.

This does not take into account perk payments made by provincial legislatures for session allowances, nor the nearly R40 million paid by KwaZulu-Natal for the household expenses of King Goodwill Zwelithini.

The Moseneke commission has recommended an 11 percent salary increase, backdated to April, for the almost 900 senior traditional leaders, taking their incomes to R144 000 a year each. This amounts to about R126 million a year.

The 11 kings, including Zwelithini, will receive nearly R800 000 a year, up from about R600 000. This amounts to an annual bill of nearly R9 million.

In addition to these payments, members of the national house of traditional leaders and the eight provincial houses receive sessional allowances.

The senior manager in the national house, Sam Khandlela, said that each of the 18 members of the house received a daily allowance of R762, but this was set to rise to R826 in terms of the Moseneke recommendations.

Members of the national house of traditional leaders received R206 600 a year, but this has been increased to R229 326, according to a notice gazetted by President Kgalema Motlanthe.


Western Cape is the only province without a house of traditional leaders, although the national house meets at parliament in Cape Town. Khandlela said this house met for about four days each quarter, or 16 days a year.

The chairmen and deputy chairmen of the nine traditional houses were afforded a car and, in some cases, permanent offices.

In the case of KwaZulu-Natal, chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi - who styles himself as the traditional prime minister to the Zulu king - is part-time chairman of the provincial house of traditional leaders.

The chairman of the national house, khosi Pfulani Kutama of Limpopo, is now paid R557 000 a year. He is also provided with a luxury vehicle.

His deputy chairman, Pontso Maubane, is provided with transport and paid R426 000 a year.

The seven full-time chairmen of the provincial houses are now earning R458 000 a year, while their deputies are earning R426 000.

Buthelezi, who is also a national assembly MP and the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, will receive a daily allowance of nearly R1 000 when the KwaZulu-Natal house sits.

He will be also entitled to receive remuneration of R144 000 a year as a senior traditional leader. As a leader of a minority party he will receive R853 000 a year.

 

[jammio]

*shakes head*

 

[sox63]

I see nothing wrong with this TBH. How many countries out there do NOT contribute financially to their royal families?

 

[xrapidx]

I see nothing wrong with this TBH. How many countries out there do NOT contribute financially to their royal families?

I do - have you seen all the shacks next to the N2 in Cape Town?

How many countries, Africa excluded, have 11 King?

 

[aadil-old]

Where can I apply for Royal Status?

 

[xrapidx]

Yeh - I just decided I have a royal bloodline - I also want R800,000/pa

 

[sox63]

I do - have you seen all the shacks next to the N2 in Cape Town?

How many countries, Africa excluded, have 11 King?

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However you seem to forget that SA has quite a few tribes in it.

Being part of one, I see no problem with it.

 

[xrapidx]

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However you seem to forget that SA has quite a few tribes in it.

Being part of one, I see no problem with it.

Great - so how about the people who's tribe the king belongs to pays him? i.e. take from their tax money and pay him - I don't see why everyone should be responsible for paying 11 kings.

Since the king crap dates back many years, lets use that as an example, do you think one tribe would of been happy paying another tribes king? I think not...

This king/queen crap needs to fall away - I don't see why I should pay a governments salary, and a kings.

 

[Telkomisaloser]

Yeh - I just decided I have a royal bloodline - I also want R800,000/pa

Seconded...

I got some royal bloodline in me...

Now give me R900,000 each month

 

[DigitalSoldier]

Being part of one, I see no problem with it.

Why would you say they deserve such a large amount of money ?

When Zuma was facing rape charges he made such a fuss about his Zulu culture etc.. Why then do these tribal kings get so much money, if they can do with a lot less to satisfy their traditional cultural needs.

 

[DJ...]

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However you seem to forget that SA has quite a few tribes in it.

Being part of one, I see no problem with it.

Well there is no issue with there being 11 Kings - no problem with that. But apart from garnering support for the political party that funds them, what do they contribute towards the governing of this country?

What do they do that warrants you and I paying their salaries? A salary requires some form of work, so I'm curious as to what this "work" is...

 

[xrapidx]

Seconded...

I got some royal bloodline in me...

Now give me R900,000 each month

Mine's more royal than yours, so you can only have R750,000.

 

[Sly21C]

I see nothing wrong with this TBH. How many countries out there do NOT contribute financially to their royal families?

I don't see anything wrong with this either......

I do - have you seen all the shacks next to the N2 in Cape Town?

How many countries, Africa excluded, have 11 King?

How many countries have 11 official languages?

Yeh - I just decided I have a royal bloodline - I also want R800,000/pa

Although I see nothing with our government contributing to the royal families and "giving" them money or paying their salaries, I do think however that R40 million a year for the Zulu monarchy and R800 000 for the Zulu king is a bit too much.

 

[icyrus]

I see nothing wrong with this TBH. How many countries out there do NOT contribute financially to their royal families?

Monarchies are a remnant of a bygone era. They should all be abolished.

 

[xrapidx]

Who decides who's tribe is royal enough to deserve R800,000 for the king?

If I get 200 people to call me king, and create my own tribe, am I then entitled to R800,000/pa?

I'm pretty sure finding 200 followers is going to be easier than my job.

 

[Sly21C]

Who decides who's tribe is royal enough to deserve R800,000 for the king?

If I get 200 people to call me king, and create my own tribe, am I then entitled to R800,000/pa?

I'm pretty sure finding 200 followers is going to be easier than my job.

.....do you really think you'll find people to support you simply because you want to get R800,000 a year? I don't think so..... I mean what do they get out of this?

 

[sox63]

Great - so how about the people who's tribe the king belongs to pays him? i.e. take from their tax money and pay him - I don't see why everyone should be responsible for paying 11 kings.

Since the king crap dates back many years, lets use that as an example, do you think one tribe would of been happy paying another tribes king? I think not...

This king/queen crap needs to fall away - I don't see why I should pay a governments salary, and a kings.

I know I will be flamed for this, however there is no other way of explaining this to people. Those kings you refer to are royalty, they held ownership of all the land we see today. And I'm sure you have done history in your life and are aware of the history of land ownership in SA.

Hell, the richest tribe in SA had to transfer their land to Missionaries, in a bid to keep control over it becuase of the policies of the past. They got it back and look at how they have flourished becuase of it. I'm talking about the Ba***eng, in case you don't know.

So they are entitled to it, and dare I say it, they are entitled to more.

 

[xrapidx]

.....do you really think you'll find people to support you simply because you want to get R800,000 a year? I don't think so..... I mean what do they get out of this?

R1,000 once off... this is SA - thats a lot of money to someone on the street.

 

[xrapidx]

I know I will be flamed for this, however there is no other way of explaining this to people. Those kings you refer to are royalty, they held ownership of all the land we see today. And I'm sure you have done history in your life and are aware of the history of land ownership in SA.

Hell, the richest tribe in SA had to transfer their land to Missionaries, in a bid to keep control over it becuase of the policies of the past. They got it back and look at how they have flourished becuase of it. I'm talking about the Ba***eng, in case you don't know.

So they are entitled to it, and dare I say it, they are entitled to more.

Yes, and 2000 years ago - what did they own?

All these kings also took their so called land from someone at sometime.

 

[<moLe>]

these apparent kings are whinny bitches, they didn't contribute to this economy they are milking... They had little but huts and cattle...I agree let them get their 'royal privilege's / official bribes' from their tribes men.