Calls to pay all monarchs the same rate as King Goodwill Zwelithini give taxpayers a rare opportunity to have a say on how to finance our royalty. Every year there is an outcry when King Zwelithini's budget is announced.The recent crowning of King Zwelonke Sigcawu has opened debate on the funding of our kings and chiefs.South Africa has seven kingdoms and all get funding from the state. But the Zulu king always gets the lion's share of the budget.We are told Zwelithini got R51.3-million in 2013 but other kings get about R1-million each a year.With our leaders afraid to open the debate around Zwelithini's budget and the rising costs of his upkeep, we should not be faulted when we call for a debate on how we fund our monarchs. If all our kings are equal, why are they not getting the same share of our taxes?Political leaders must explain to the nation these discrepancies and why one king should be pampered at the expense of others.If we are to build a strong bond with our monarchs, it is about time we reviewed how we treat them.Some among us will this morning advance an argument that Zwelithini cannot be compared to other kings and that his status demands the budget he gets. With everyone being asked to tighten belts, every cent we spend on the upkeep of kings and chiefs needs to be scrutinised and explained to taxpayers.We should not expect people to value and honour our monarchs when the government refuses to tell us how we fund them.Even in Britain, where the royal family is held in the highest regard by the people, there are murmurs of discontent among taxpayers, who question the ever-rising costs of maintaining the royal family.South Africa today has an opportunity to settle disputes about royal funding and resolve grievances about the increasing costs.If our kings are equal, then their budget should be as well...