Question NW1 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
15 March 2016 - NW1
Mulder, Dr PW to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
(1) What are the (a) annual salaries and (b) other financial benefits that (i) King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo and (ii) the abaThembu royal family receive from the State; (2) whether any of the financial contributions that the State pays the specified king should be suspended because of the sentence and incarceration that he is currently serving; if not, why not; if so, (a) which contributions have been suspended and (b) from which date the contributions have been suspended; (3) whether the State is paying or will pay any financial remuneration and contributions to the abaThembu king; if not, why not; if so, (a) what (i) amount or (ii) respective amounts have been or will be paid to him, (b) on what date the funds were or will be paid to the acting king and (c) in terms of which legislation the payments were or will be made to the acting king? NW1E
Reply:
(1) The salaries, allowances and benefits of all Public Office Bearers, thus including Kings, are determined by the President based on recommendations made by the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. This Commission also makes recommendations in respect of resources which are necessary to enable a Public Office Bearer to perform his or her functions effectively. Further to this determination, the Department has developed minimum norms and standards for the provision of resources to recognised traditional leaders which have been endorsed at MINMEC on 26 September 2013. Thus, King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo annual remuneration is R 1 137 922 as per the determination.
(2) Yes, the remuneration, allowances, benefits and tools of trade have been suspended. The King's car that was allocated by the State was withdrawn soon after the Kings incarceration on 30 December 2015. As for the remuneration of the King, the Province has reported that his salary would be suspended with effect from March 2016. It should be noted that there are no provisions in legislation governing Public Office Bearers to stop the payment of his salary. However, the Minister intervened as follows:
• Sent the DG to engage the Provincial Accounting Officer to use the provisions of Section 38 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Act 1 of 1999.
• To explain the national process to unite the different factions of the royal family delaying the implementation of section 10 of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, Act 41 of 2003.
• Furthermore, the Minister wrote to the MEC advising him to stop the salary in accordance with section 38 of the PFMA, Act 1 of 1999.
(3) No, the King is in prison and can no longer perform his duties-continuing to pay him will constitute irregular, wasteful and fruitless expenditure and the Eastern Cape Accounting Officer is expected to prevent it.(b) The issue of the acting King has not been finalised. The Royal family is still consulting on this matter. As soon as an acting King has been nominated, the Royal family is expected to make a submission to the Premier in accordance with section 14 of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act, Act 41 2003.