DA Provincial leader Francois Rodgers discussed the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal with Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini on Wednesday, after the party’s chief whip in uMngeni Municipality was murdered.
Nhlalayenza Ndlovu was shot dead at his home on Tuesday night.
The EFF and IFP have already met with the king as parties seek his blessing ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested election.
Rodgers described the meeting with the king and royal household as a fruitful engagement with a focus on key issues in the province.
He said the king was forthright that political killings remain a scourge in the province.
“As leadership, we have to take roles in political killings. The king also spoke about how his late father (King Goodwill Zwelithini) was vociferous and forthright about the killings.
“If his majesty wants to drive that agenda and try to unite our province, that is his role and responsibility,” Rodgers said.
Before the meeting, Rodgers said the party had for some time been urging leaders of political parties in the province to sit around the table and have a dialogue.
He said it was important to implement the resolutions of the 2018 Moerane Commission, which investigated the underlying causes of political killings in KZN.
Rodgers said the party had also discussed the Ingonyama Trust with the king. The Ingonyama Trust Board controls 2.8-million hectares of land in the province.
“We spoke about what is happening with the trust at a national level.
We have some good ideas on how to address some of the challenges, especially when it comes to agriculture and the royal household’s agricultural land, and developing a commercial entity which will allow it to have a self-sustainable agricultural system.
“This will be a hand up instead of a handout that will eventually become self-sustainable and assist the province in funding the royal household and the king.”
The Mercury