Durban - Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Nontembeko Boyce, says they are ready to roll out the red carpet for Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini when he delivers his inaugural speech to mark the opening of the legislature in Pietermaritzburg this week.
Briefing the media on the preparations for the opening yesterday, Boyce said the coronation of King Misuzulu late last year placed the legislature in a position where it could host him.
“We are happy to announce that following the coronation of the king in October last year, we will commence with the address by the monarch which will be followed by the State of the Province Address (Sopa),” she said.
She said the king would deliver his address on Thursday and the premier would deliver her Sopa the next day at the Oval Cricket Stadium in Pietermaritzburg.
She added that the 2023 event was significant in that there were no restrictions, as had been the case over the past two years, owing to Covid-19, and this was the primary reason they were going all-out to make it a memorable event.
Asked about the costs of the event, secretary of the legislature, Nerusha Naidoo, said the budget was R3.7 million.
“We will still try, however, to limit the spending and to be efficient and effective in terms of how we use taxpayers’ money,” Naidoo said.
Boyce told the media they expected a dignified and colourful ceremony with 1 200 invited guests coming from diverse sectors and different parts of the country, including the diplomatic corps, civil society, cultural groups, interfaith organisations and the judiciary.
“We are therefore confident that we will have a highly dignified and cost-
effective inaugural address by His Majesty, whom we regard as a source of wisdom on many important issues, from development to social, economic and cultural issues in the province.”
Boyce added that the proceedings for both the official opening and the Sopa would be available live on all KZN legislature social media pages on reverse billing or data-free, meaning members of the public can stream them for free on YouTube.
“We are proud that our institution was the first among its peers to effectively use digital platforms to run its business online with house sittings and administration meetings now being conducted online.”
The Sopa will be followed by the provincial budget and the budget policy speeches of all provincial departments, including the legislature.