The royal household has received an increased budget from R55 million in 2011/12 to R59.5m for this financial year.
|||The budget for the royal household, which takes care of Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini, has increased by R4.5 million, from R55 million in 2011/12 to R59.5m for the current financial year.
Tabling the budget in the legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, KZN Premier Zweli Mkhize, who is the political head of the royal household, said the bulk of the budget, R35.2m, would go to finance support services.
This programme provides administrative and auxiliary services to the king and the royal family. It includes procuring and maintaining the royal fleet, clothing for queens and schooling of royal children.
However, this allocation has decreased by R4m from R39.4m last year to R35.2m in the current financial year.
The planning and development programme, responsible for palace refurbishment, construction of new palaces and other functions, has nearly doubled from R11.9 million last year to R20.4m.
Mkhize said the 2012/13 allocation would attend to royal capital projects aimed at upgrading KwaKhetha, KwaDlamahlahla, Ingwavuma and Linduzulu palaces and offices.
It would mainly involve the maintenance of the king’s main house and his house in KwaKhetha. Mkhize said renovation and paving and water reticulation projects would be finalised in the current year in KwaKhetha Palace.
The third programme, responsible for the king’s farms, was allocated R3.8m, which reflects a R200 000 increase from last year’s allocation of R3.6.