KZN government revitalises historic Ulundi old legislature

After years of neglect, the Ulundi old legislature building in the north of KwaZulu-Natal will be fully utilised again.

As part of unbundling and revitalisation of the unused and underutilised public assets, the Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer officially handed over the old legislature to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi in a media briefing on Tuesday.

The two MECs signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which marked the official handover of the building to be fully utilised by CoGTA.

Speaking after the signing of the MOU, Meyer said the old legislature building remains one of the buildings with great historical significance for the province of KwaZulu-Natal; however, over the years, it has been subjected to some neglect and has continued to be in a less-than-desirable state, with costs to repair mounting.

He further explained that the building, already suffering from neglect, was recently hit by severe storms. This caused significant damage to parts of the structure, leading to the closure of affected areas and staff from various departments being instructed not to report there for duty.

“Regarding the several raised questions around the future of the building, I am happy to announce that KZN CoGTA has approached us to express interest in taking over the building. Therefore, as KZN Public Works and Infrastructure, we will be transferring ownership of the old Ulundi legislature building to my fellow MEC, Reverend Buthelezi, and his department, who will use it,” said Meyer.

Meyer also announced that his department will unbundle 80 housing units to CoGTA for accommodation use.

In response, Buthelezi said the re-use of the building will be a great honour to the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who built it.

He announced his department would not renew the lease on its current Pietermaritzburg building, citing the impending move to Ulundi.

He stated that no staff would be relocated to Ulundi, as all employees would be moved to existing government office spaces in Pietermaritzburg.

Buthelezi said the move will save R72 million of taxpayers’ money over the next three years. The department currently spends R24 million annually on rent. This amount will be reallocated to fund the medical aid scheme for traditional leaders.

Buthelezi said the move will also revitalise the Ulundi town and boost the local economy.

“The handing over of these properties is more than an administrative arrangement; it is an investment in the future of service delivery. The move empowers CoGTA to better support amakhosi and izinduna (headmen). It also strengthens the institution of traditional leadership.” 

The building currently houses staff from various departments, including SASSA, Home Affairs; however, most parts of it were vacant due to the 2004 decision by the ANC-led provincial government, which deserted the old legislature.

The IFP has been advocating for the return of the legislature's sittings to the building. During the election campaign last year, the party had vowed to move the legislature from Pietermaritzburg to Ulundi; however, no party won with an outright majority, which resulted in the Government of Provincial Unity.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za