KZN Treasury side-steps additional funding for Reed Dance festival venue-change ordered by King Misuzulu

KwaZulu-Natal's Treasury said it will not provide additional funding for this year’s Reed Dance festival to compensate for the extra costs incurred by king Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s decision to move the event away from the R140 million amphitheatre at Enyokeni royal palace.

It came as a surprise when the king announced at the weekend that the September event will be held at Mashobeni Palace in Pongola in the north-east of the province, and not the recently completed 2,000 capacity Enyokeni amphitheatre, which had been built to accommodate guests attending the event.

The move meant that the government may need extra funding to cater for VIP marquees and toilets, which would not be necessary if the festival remained at the original venue.

However, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers dismissed fears that the cash-strapped provincial government would have to bear the additional costs. 

The department’s spokesperson Nkosikhona Duma said it will be up to the department of Arts and Culture as well as the Office of the Premier to reprioritise their budgets to accommodate the venue swop. 

“MEC Rodgers posits that the provincial fiscus is constrained, therefore no additional funds will be provided for this move. The MEC continues with efforts to ensure that the AmaZulu Royal household gets to a position of self-sustenance so that it may play a role in funding moves of a similar kind,” said Duma.

An official from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure said the department had pushed contractors to finish the Enyokeni project early as the venue was already accommodated in the budget and it was declared ready for the September event on Friday.

The provincial government through the Public Works department spent R140 on building the amphitheatre at Enyokeni.

The dome-designed structure was requested by Misuzulu's father, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini for the purpose of the reed dance and has facilities which do not require the hiring of VIP marquees or toilets. 

The government was expected to bear the extra cost of makeshift pavilion seating at Mashobeni, where maidens and the public will gather for the king’s address, after the presentation of reeds by the maidens.

In defending his venue-change decision, the king said he was honouring Queen Nandi and King Shaka, who had a palace in the area.

“I am aware that many are used to this event being held in eNyokeni. Today, I wish to announce that the event will now be held here at Mashobeni palace on 12 to 14 September. We are sorry to those who wanted the event to continue at Enyokeni palace. My decision is in line with the fact that Queen Nandi and King Shaka lived here so it’s important to revive his palace,” said Misuzulu at the weekend.

KZN Public Works and Infrastructure MEC, Martin Meyer, said he had noted the announcement made by the king to move the ceremony to Mashobeni royal residence, however, he said his department was just an implementing agent as per the mandate given on each project by a client department.

“In this matter the client was the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture along with the Office of The Premier. Therefore any queries would be best placed before those offices.”

Arts and Culture spokesperson Ntando Mnyando said his department could not say anything further about the decision as its' duty is to organise events wherever the king and royal family want them to be. The Premier's Office was yet to comment on the matter. The royal family’s spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu had also not commented on Treasury’s announcement.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za