Durban — King Cetshwayo District Municipality mayor Thami Ntuli says the municipality supports diverse South African heritage programmes.
Speaking at the Just Love Festival, held at the Zululand Yacht Club in Richards Bay on Saturday, he said that since 2021, the municipality had spent a large portion of its operational budget on promoting music, arts, cultural and heritage programmes.
“This has also enabled us to support and uplift the struggling musicians and artists who were financially crippled by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions,” said Ntuli.
He said the rich heritage and cultural history of the region had to be instilled in the minds of the younger generation, to honour the legacy of their ancestors and to keep their culture alive and well.
“In doing so, we have brought the joy of classical music alive through the hosting of the annual Princess Magogo Choral Music Festival, which brought national attention to the district through our support for the orchestra and choral groups who performed,” explained Ntuli.
Princess Magogo was the sister of King Solomon kaDinuzulu and the daughter of King Dinuzulu.
She was the mother of the late IFP founder and prime minister of the Zulu Nation, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who died last year.
Ntuli said the municipality has also revisited the history of the Zulu nation by hosting the annual King Cetshwayo Memorial Lecture.
“This significant historical analysis of the role of King Cetshwayo in Zulu history and the Battle of Isandlwana will once again be held [this year], on January 19... at Nkandla, near the resting place of the late King, after whom our district is named.
“We also annually sponsor the Richard’s Bay Diwali Festival as part of our commitment to strengthening cultural ties and supporting the Indian community’s efforts to celebrate their heritage,” he said.
The Just Love Festival, which was hosted by the founder of Bhakti Marg International, Paramahams Vishwananda and the founder of the World Peace Foundation, Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman, is aimed at ending racial discrimination and promoting love and unity between diverse cultures and nations.
Ntuli paid respect to the Prince for his work in uplifting culture in the region, which includes establishing and leading the Sivananda World Peace Foundation, which is aimed at promoting peace, unity in diversity, arts and culture around the world. he said Buthelezi was a proud patron of the foundation and had supported the Peace Pillar Programmes over the years.
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