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KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Thami Ntuli says traditional leaders play an important role in the governance of the province. Picture: X
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli says 16 traditional leaders in the province whose lives are at risk have been given bodyguards to protect them.
Ntuli announced this at his state of the province address (Sopa) in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.
“As part of improving the safety of amakhosi we have continued to support the implementation of some of the measures from the sixth administration. WiFi connectivity and CCTV cameras were installed for 15 amakhosi to improve their safety, and 16 amakhosi at high risk were provided with personal protection,” he said.
Ntuli said more than 100 members of the safety cluster were trained to offer strategies in areas where 38 traditional leaders live.
“However, we admit that more still needs to be done,” he said.
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Two weeks ago, there were reports that King Misuzulu had written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, complaining about his own security.
According to Daily Sun, the king complained that his security had been reduced to five bodyguards from 12.
He said this created a dangerous situation for him because of tensions within the royal household.
King Misuzulu still faces legal battles from some of his family members who do not believe he should lead the Zulu nation.
Ntuli said the role of traditional leaders is important in government. He said he intends on including traditional leaders in the administration of the province.
“We have embarked on a path to strengthen the role of traditional leaders, not as a parallel structure but as a fundamental partner in our democratic dispensation. Today we stand resolute to bridge the gap between traditional leadership and the modern state, ensuring that government is truly reflective of people’s identities and aspirations and lived realities,” he said.
Ntuli said he wanted to modernise the administration of the office of the Zulu King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini.
However, he said more details on this will be given during the budget speech in the coming days.
Ntuli said since he began his role as premier last year, the provincial government has held talks on taxi wars, crime and gender-based violence.
“We have actively sought solutions that are informed by the experiences of our people as a result of dialogues on crime a council against crime was launched in February 2025.
“This is an essential platform in our collective fights against lawlessness. As government we realise that the battle against crime cannot be won in isolation, it requires the expertise of specialists, the vigilance of civil society and the unwavering commitment of all sectors of our society,” he said.
He also praised provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, for several successes in crime fighting activities.
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