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Former KZN Royal Household boss fights for job

Durban - The case involving the former chief executive officer of the KwaZulu-Natal Royal Household Trust, Njabulo Buthelezi, is expected to resume at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on Thursday.

Buthelezi resigned from the trust on June 30 2014 following a fall-out with the then chair of the trust, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, over procurement and services and goods.  

Buthelezi last appeared at the CCMA in December 2014 in a bid to get his job back.

Buthelezi confirmed he would be appearing at the CCMA on Thursday.

During the last hearing, the Royal Household was asked to submit minutes of a meeting held between Buthelezi and the trust prior to his resignation.

The papers were meant to have been submitted by January 20 2015. This, however, did not happen.

The case, which is in the arbitration process, was expected to sit in February, but it was postponed to May 28.

The Department of the Royal Household was closed by KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu and President Jacob Zuma in December. A decision was taken that the Office of the Premier should assume responsibility as the parent department of the royal household.

It was reported that in February 2014, Buthelezi questioned a quotation of more than R2.8m for imported military regalia for King Goodwill Zwelithini, his wives, children and the Ingonyama Trust board to be worn at the second opening of the provincial legislature in June last year.

A month later, Buthelezi reportedly questioned the procurement of an outside speech writer for the monarch when the royal household department was tasked with the duty.

In June, Buthelezi was reported to have questioned why the royal household department was not paying for Zwelithini's wedding and birthday party. He resigned on the 30th of that month.

This April, the royal household was allocated R57.6m, which would reportedly go towards the upkeep of the royal palaces, tuition fees, transportation and medical expenses of the royal family. 

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