Zulu King Zwelithini spends R3m on flights

ZULU King Goodwill Zwelithini who touched the storm in Zimbabwe and other Southern African countries after he called for the removal of foreigners from South Africa which is blamed for the xenophobic attacks that erupted then has been accused of squandering over 3 million rands in private flights.

Zwelithini's taste for private charter flight services has cost the South African taxpayer almost R3 million - for just 13 flights!

Daily Sun reported that the king used the private flights to attend social and official engagements.

This was despite the monarch blowing his annual budget and receiving a bailout earlier this year.

The flights included a R350 000 trip to Swaziland to attend a function hosted by King Mswati, weekend media reported.

Details contained in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 financial reports showed that the king: Flew from Ulundi to Durban on 9 May 2014 to meet Hermann Erdmann, the CEO of the Recycling and Economic Development Institute of SA. He then flew to Cape Town to have dinner with Erdmann less than a month later. The flights cost R517 000.

Premier Senzo Mchunu's spokesman, Thamsanqa Ngwenya, confirmed the trips to Sunday Times. Twelve of the flights from Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Airport in Ulundi cost R2,82m.