CHIEF MAGUDVULELA ORDERS RESIDENTS TO PAY E200 EACH

NDLALAMbI – Subjects of Chief Magudvulela in northern Hhohho have been ordered to pay at least E100 per head towards the construction of his royal kraal.

Construction is expected to begin in October and residents are supposed to pay the said amount before the end of September. All men are expected to contribute E200, women and all tax-paying males between the ages 18 - 25 pay E100.
The chief was last year embroiled in controversy regarding comments he allegedly made against former Member of Parliament Jennifer Du Pont during the build-up to the elections.

He was accused of having allegedly told residents not to vote for Du Pont.
The construction will include houses fit for a royal kraal. The number of houses to be built could not be ascertained by the Ludzibini Indvuna, Dumisani Dlamini.
He said that it would all be confirmed as the construction proceeded.

Hosting

Dlamini said they had difficulty hosting events, especially because of insufficient houses at the residence.
He quoted an incident where regiments had to sleep over at the residence during the incwala ceremony and there was shortage of houses.
Dlamini could not confirm the number of homesteads at the area. He said a study would have to be carried out for them to have the correct figures. He continued to say that the royal residence does not have the financial muscle to carry out such studies because it had no means of making money.

“Carrying out such a study is costly, even the government spends a lot of money moving from house to house gathering such information. We, as the royal kraal, do not have a budget like government, so it is not easy for us to make that study,” Dlamini said.
He could not say the exact amount of money needed for the construction of the residence. He said it was hard for him to confirm the amount, reason being that the construction of a royal kraal was a complex exercise.
Dlamini also said the figures could not be confirmed because a lot came into play in the construction process and that included the fact that security measures had to be taken as well.

“The construction of a royal kraal is not an easy job; it is complex,” said Dlamini. “Protecting the residence from animals and any other external threats also has to be ensured so fencing is a priority as well,” continued Dlamini.
He said this when asked to confirm the budget allocated for this project. He also said it was not easy to do all calculations at the time because the number of people who would pay was unknown.
Chief Magudvulela confirmed knowledge of the matter but referred all questions to the area’s indvuna, Dlamini.

Dlamini confirmed that contributions were asked from the people of Ndlalambi in a meeting held at Ludzibini royal residence on Sunday, August 3. The indvuna said the money should be submitted until September 30. He noted that widows in mourning gowns were not expected to contribute anything towards this project because of cultural reasons.

Dlamini went on to say that everyone under the said umphakatsi was expected to contribute towards the building of the royal kraal.
He said that long ago people would come together to plaster their royal kraals with mud and cow dung but because of the change in times, this was no longer the case. Dlamini continued to say that nowadays there are new ways of constructing houses and they had to follow suit.

 He further mentioned that no construction company would be hired to build the royal kraal but skilled builders from the community would be used. Furthermore, Dlamini said if the people contribute enough money then the builders would be compensated for their work. He said it would not be possible for everyone to work in the construction phase of the project.

“We cannot employ a construction company but we will use the local builders we have and if we have enough funds, they might be given a token of appreciation,” Dlamini said.
He did not hide the fact that some residents might not pay but made it known that he and other members of the royal kraal had already paid. He said they decided to lead the way in the payments so to set an example for everyone else.
Residents are expected to pay in their different zones then the money will be collectively forwarded to the royal kraal and further deposited to a chosen warehouse account.
Dlamini said they preferred not to use banks because they were trying to avoid bank charges.

“Banks are a problem because they charge individuals for depositing and also withdrawing money. We opted to deposit the money directly to a warehouse account then take the material when needed,” Dlamini said.
He further said they were keeping a close eye on those responsible for collecting the money. He said they would ensure that no money goes unaccounted for and that they will not allow anyone to do as they please with the money.
“Angeke sivumele bantfu batentele matsandza ngalemali (we will not let anyone do as they please with the money),” stressed Dlamini.

Timphisini Member of Parliament, Apton Ndlovu declined to comment on the matter and asked that all questions be directed to the chief. Ndlovu could not divulge the number of homesteads under the Ludzibini royal residence.
“I cannot say anything about that issue because it concerns the royal kraal. The elders are in a better position to answer all questions,” said Ndlovu.

Worth noting is that a majority of the residents played the silent game and just a few expressed their views on the matter but under the condition their identities are not revealed.
*Ndumiso Ngcamphalala (21), a male resident of Ndlalambi said he failed to understand why they were required to contribute towards the construction of another royal kraal.

Unemployed

He was for the view that people under the Ntfonjeni royal kraal should be the ones funding the construction. He also said the stipulated contribution alone was too much, looking at the fact that a majority of the youth was unemployed and so were the women.
“I personally do not understand why we have to folk out money to pay for the construction of another royal kraal,” said the puzzled young man.

*Norah Mdladla, another resident of Ndlalambi said the money was a bit too much for them. She said they asked one another as women of the area where they would get the requested cash. Mdladla suggested that they should have at least asked them to pay the money in instalments.

*Clara Dlamini wondered where she would get the money since she was unemployed and had no husband to cater for her financial needs. She asked that the royal kraal reconsider the proclamation.
*Not their real names.
“We feel that the money is too much since we do not work, we stay at home. Women everywhere secretly discus in groups and wondered where they would get the money to pay for the said project,” Mdladla said. 

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