Politics — and money — torpedo Thulasizwe Buthelezi’s Ulundi office move

Political as well as financial considerations are apparently behind KwaZulu-Natal premier Thami Ntuli’s decision to halt the plan by cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi to move his head office to Ulundi.

Buthelezi, who is also King MisuZulu kaZwelithini’s traditional prime minister, had planned to move his office to the former KwaZulu capital in honour of late Inkatha Freedom Party

(IFP) founder Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

But the move angered civil servants and raised concerns among political parties involved in the government of provincial unity due to both the cost and the political implications of the decision.

The province has a projected budget deficit of R9 billion for the current financial year and has imposed hard-hitting cost-cutting measures across all its departments, including a freeze on off-budget spending.

Preparations for the official opening were underway this week, but on Tuesday, Ntuli used a public engagement to announce that he had decided to postpone the opening of Buthelezi’s Ulundi office, which had been scheduled for 5 December.

Sources in the province said Ntuli’s intervention came after concerns were raised with the premier by coalition partners who had pointed out that Buthelezi was not allowed to have a third office under the ministerial handbook.

“It was pointed out that the handbook did not allow the decision and that it was taking place at a time when the province is cutting back on expenditure,” one source said. “The premier took the decision to avoid embarrassing the government of provincial unity.”

Concerns were also raised with the IFP leadership about the impact of Buthelezi’s actions in the portfolio, which have seen him intervening in a number of municipalities, on the stability of the government of provincial unity and its national counterpart, another source said.

“There are concerns in the government of national unity and the government of provincial unity about what the MEC is doing in the department and the municipalities. There are also dynamics in the IFP over him,” they said.

Ntuli told the media that the provincial government was “proceeding” with the opening of the Ulundi office but there were “some technical and administrative arrangements that we had to take care of first”.

Buthelezi already has offices in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, where the provincial government has had its headquarters since the latter city became the administrative and legislative capital in 2004 — and was not legally permitted to have a third.

“As you will know, the handbook is categorical about two offices, one being the head office, and the other the choice of the member of the executive council. We felt we have to ensure that we give assurance on the adherence, so that the people will support our journey,” Ntuli said. 

A new date for the opening of the Ulundi office would be announced in the near future, he added.

The relocation would have seen Buthelezi and his staff working out of Ulundi for three days a week, staying in hotel accommodation at state cost and claiming subsistence and transport costs.

Ulundi shared equal status with Pietermartizburg between 1994 and 2004, when the ANC and other parties voted that the latter become the sole legislative and administrative capital of the province.

The old KwaZulu legislative assembly and administrative buildings — where the legislature sat during the dual capital phase — now accommodate the province’s house of traditional leaders and district government offices.

Buthelezi, the former Zululand district mayor, promised the business chamber there that the government would relocate to Ulundi during the campaign for the 29 May national and provincial elections. This was despite the IFP national leadership formally stating that any plans for such a move had been shelved ahead of the elections.

Democratic Alliance provincial leader and finance MEC Francois Rodgers said he  welcomed the intervention by the premier.

“He has correctly pointed out that legislation has placed a limit on the number of offices an MEC may have. The premier’s decision has been taken in recognition of legislation and in the interests of the people of KwaZulu-Natal,” Rodgers said.

National Education Health and Allied Workers Union provincial secretary Ayanda Zulu said the union had placed its lawyers on standby to interdict the move, which it “vehemently opposed”.

Zulu welcomed the intervention by the premier, saying Buthelezi’s proposed move was unlawful in that he had failed to consult the union whose members would have to be relocated, either bilaterally or within the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC).

“When we heard about this plan at first we thought it was a joke or fake news. Any relocation of staff is done in terms of the Labour Relations Act and there are consultative forums, in this instance the PSCBC, where it would be discussed. There have never been discussions on any platform, either bilaterally or among the parties in the chamber,” he said.

The Ulundi move was part of an agenda by Buthelezi to “purge” civil servants in supply chain and human resources who were members of the ANC in the name of cleaning up corruption.

He said there were serious issues about the government precinct at Ulundi’s compliance with occupational health and safety standards and problems relating to water supply. 

Government houses had been taken over by members of the public who now lived there and any staff relocated there would have to be provided with housing elsewhere in the Zululand town.

Buthelezi did not respond to a request for comment.