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.
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