Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.

Pongola: King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has quietly brought Inkosi Malusi Zondi back as Royal Chancellor months after he was removed from the powerful position.

Zondi’s return became public on Monday afternoon when the King’s Private Office sent him a birthday message referring to him as the Zulu monarch’s Royal Chancellor.

The King’s Private Office confirmed that Zondi has been reinstated.

His return marks another major change in the group of senior officials surrounding King Misuzulu following months of tension and changes within the royal administration.

Zondi was removed in May through a statement issued by the then Prime Minister to the Zulu monarch, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi.

At the time, Buthelezi accused Zondi and Nododile Ndamase, the chief director in the King’s Private Office, of corruption.

It was claimed that Zondi had opened a Standard Bank account in the King’s name without King Misuzulu’s consent.

There were also claims that millions of rands were deposited into the account and that transactions raised concerns among bank executives.

Zondi and Ndamase denied the claims.

It later emerged that there was a power struggle among senior figures serving King Misuzulu.

Zondi was later redeployed as King Misuzulu’s representative at KwaMashu hostel in Durban.

His return as Royal Chancellor follows another dramatic royal shake-up.

King Misuzulu fired Buthelezi as his prime minister and replaced him with Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza of the eMadungeni Traditional Council.

Ndamase has also returned to the King’s Private Office.

The secretary appointed to replace Ndamase resigned less than a month after taking the position.

Now Zondi is back in one of the most important positions serving the Zulu monarch.

Durban: President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised eThekwini Municipality for successfully hosting the 46th Southern African Development Community Summit.

The summit was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre from 3 to 17 August 2026.

It brought heads of state and government, ministers, delegates, journalists and invited guests from across southern Africa to Durban.

The gathering focused on stronger industrial development through infrastructure, agriculture and the processing of critical minerals.

Ramaphosa’s praise gives Durban another boost as the city works to position itself as a destination capable of hosting major international gatherings.

eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said Durban’s selection to host the summit showed growing confidence in the city’s ability to host major global events.

The summit also brought some of the region’s most powerful political leaders together to discuss economic development, infrastructure and cooperation between neighbouring countries.

Pietermaritzburg: KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi wants the way municipal councillors are paid to change.

Buthelezi has called for councillor pay to be standardised across municipalities.

He argues that councillors are expected to provide the same level of service to communities but can receive different pay depending on the size and grade of their municipality.

Buthelezi made the call during the South African Local Government Association KwaZulu-Natal Members’ Assembly in Pietermaritzburg.

The gathering looked at problems facing local government as the current group of councillors approaches the end of its term in two months.

Buthelezi said the South African Local Government Association should push for changes to the way councillors are paid.

He believes the current system is unfair to councillors serving smaller municipalities because their salaries are linked to the size or grade of their municipality.

His argument is that residents expect councillors to do the job regardless of whether they serve a large city or a small municipality.

Buthelezi now wants the association to take up the fight for a standard system of remuneration.

Pictured above: Inkosi Malusi Zondi, who has been reinstated as the Zulu Royal Chancellor.

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