Celani Sikhakhane brings you KwaZulu-Natal’s latest news.
Pietermaritzburg: British Deputy High Commissioner Lisa Weedon formally delivered a sealed letter from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince William, to His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini during the official opening of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature in Pietermaritzburg on 26 February 2026.
The letter was presented as part of the ongoing Kingdom-to-Kingdom diplomatic relations initiated by His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini during official engagements in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates in 2025. The symbolic exchange reflects the strengthening of historical and diplomatic ties between the Zulu Monarchy and the British Royal Family within a modern framework of cooperation and mutual respect.
Ms Weedon, who was appointed British Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa in November 2024, represents the United Kingdom in diplomatic engagements and bilateral initiatives across the country.
Eshowe: The Eshowe Regional Court has sentenced a 43-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his 11-year-old mentally disabled niece in the Babanango area of Zululand in 2020. The accused and the complainant were neighbours. On the day of the offence, the accused instructed his child to call the complainant to his house. Once she arrived, the accused told her to lie on the bed and raped her. He then sent her home. On her way back, she met her mother and immediately disclosed the rape. The complainant was taken to hospital for a medical examination, and the matter was reported to the police.
The accused was arrested, but the case was initially provisionally withdrawn pending DNA results. Once forensic analysis confirmed a positive match linking the accused to the offence, the matter was re-enrolled and proceeded to trial.
KwaDukuza: ActionSA in KwaDukuza has raised serious concerns over the tabling of the 2025/26 Adjustment Budget, which reflects a staggering R219.6 million operating deficit. The party said that while the Adjustment Budget is technically compliant with Section 28 of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), compliance alone does not equate to financial sustainability.
“A deficit of this magnitude is not a minor technical correction; it is a structural warning about the Municipality’s financial trajectory. The decision to fund this operating deficit through the utilisation of reserves may provide short-term relief and keep services running in the immediate term, but it weakens liquidity, reduces future capital investment capacity, and places the outer years of the Medium-Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF) at significant risk. Reserves are not income. They are financial buffers designed to absorb shocks. Once depleted, rebuilding them becomes considerably more difficult and places further strain on future budgets,” the party said.
Pictured above: British Deputy High Commissioner Lisa Weedon presented a sealed letter to King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and Queen Mawewe that was sent by Prince William of Wales.
Image source: Zulu Royal Private Office
