Planner lashes out at king

22 July 2015 - 02:03 By Bongani Mthethwa

The man who put together Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini's wedding to his sixth wife, Swazi-born Queen Zola kaMafu, last year has vented on social media about not being paid his R1.5-million outstanding bill. Sizwe Gwala of Xolisisizwe Trading and Projects took to Facebook to vent his frustration with the Royal Household Trust for not paying him for organising the R4-million wedding, which coincided with the king's 66th birthday celebrations at the Ulundi Stadium in July last year.The Pietermaritzburg businessman even posted pictures of the royal couple's nuptials and decor with the post: "It's amazing that the Royal Household Trust is planning an anniversary and birthday celebrations when they haven't settled last year's wedding bill."The wedding and birthday bash, for which the Zulu monarch bought himself a R10000 cake, took place in Ulundi on July 26 last year and was attended by more than 10000 guests, including President Jacob Zuma, IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.The trust forked out R950000 for catering, R20000 for a 5000-seat marquee, R16000 for a sound system and R25000 for decor and flowers.Gwala and some of the contractors he hired to help with the wedding have visited the trust's offices several times and he has even approached KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu, whose office is now responsible for the king's budget, for help, but to no avail.Last week Gwala sent an email to the trust inquiring about when he would be paid his outstanding bill, but received no response. This is despite the fact that the royal household was allocated a R56.5-million budget by the provincial government this year.The trust's acting chief financial officer, Bonginkosi Qunta, recently attributed the failure to pay Gwala to "an assortment of budgetary allocation challenges".Neither Qunta nor chairman of the new trust board, Professor Sihawu Ngubane, were available for comment on what has caused the delay on Gwala's payment...

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