The department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs yesterday handed over two luxury SUVs to Eastern Cape traditional leaders.
Xhosa King Mpendulo Sigcawu and AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo were each given a Jeep Cherokee, for which the department paid R627 000 apiece. The two delighted royals said the cars will ease their travelling as the cars they were currently using were aging.
Last year, Dalindyebo instructed the President Jacob Zuma-led government to take back all state benefits
they had been paying him as a king. His call was a sign of his protest against a move by Zuma to oust him.
However yesterday the king said: ‘My battle is a proper budget not just for the king. Sometimes when you lose, you succumb to some of the things.
Otherwise I have not changed my mind, it’s just that we were complaining about the petrol and type of cars.’ Department spokesman Mamkeli Ngam said the hand-over was part of implementing the policy outlined by MEC Fikile Xasa