Zulu King Misizulu kaZwelithini and his wife Queen Ntokozo kaMayisela Zulu are accused of hiring two service providers to cook for over 250 guests during their traditional umembeso ceremony last year July but haven’t paid them.

UMEMBESO CEREMONY

Siphamandla Ndebele, from Madadeni township in Newcastle and owns Le Sasha Catering company, told ZiMoja that they were tired of chasing the royal family for over R400 000 they owe her. "We were made to believe that Isilo and his wife were going to pay us after umembeso but to this day we are still waiting and nobody wants to commit to paying us from the Zulu Royal family. We have exhausted all the channels. The Zulu Royal family keeps promising to pay but they are not coming to the party," she said.

CATERING DEAL

Ndebele further said that the deal for him to do catering in the umembeso ceremony was made between himself, Ntokozo,and Prince Ndabuko Zulu, who is now the current Amajuba District Municipality mayor. "Ndabuko knows very well that the Royal family together with Ntokozo owes money for catering for umembeso. We have been trying since July last year to get our monies and they are not bothered, instead they are ignoring us. All I want is my money so that I can be able to pay all the people that assisted on the day.

ZiMoja is in possession of the documents, recorded conversations, WhatsApp messages between Ntokozo, Ndebele, Ndabulo, and the Zulu Royal family spokesperson Prince Thami Zulu.

EVIDENCE

Another service provider Dudu Gumbi from Okuhle Catering Company told ZiMoja that the Zulu Royal Family owes her an estimated R240 000. "I was approached by Ndabuko to help with catering for the gala dinner that was held after the umembeso last July. I did everything using my money as Ntokozo kept telling me that her personal assistant was flying from Johannesburg and once she was in Newcastle she was going to settle the money they were owing me. " have been in and out of hospitals after I was diagnosed with depression due to this matter. I am currently owing the people that helped me on that day and I don’t have money to pay them," she said. Attempts by ZiMoja to contact Ndabuko, Thami and Ntokozo proved fruitless as they never responded to our text messages. They ignored our calls but the text messages were read. The suppliers further claimed that they held a meeting with the Zulu Royal family spokesperson Thami at Black Rock Cafe in Newcastle in KZN late last year. They claim that Thami promised them that he was going to speak to the royal council to sort their money as soon as possible but that never happened.

Zulu Royal House spokesperson Prince Afrika confirmed that they are aware of the matter but cannot comment on it as he was not part of the communications team at the time. "Please speak to Prince Thami and Simphiwe, they are the ones who will be able to tell you how the royal house is planning to pay the suppliers. Even if they were owed R30, they must be paid. Unfortunately, I only deal with the affairs of King Misuzulu so I am unable to comment on it," he said.