Ntuli defends Office of the Premier’s role as KZN tables R856,2 million budget

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, whose office has come under criticism from some opposition parties, on Tuesday reminded MPLs that the role of the Office of the Premier was strategic, saying while it did not build hospitals or roads, it provided the leadership, co-ordination and oversight needed to ensure government delivered on its mandate.

Tabling the Office of the Premier’s R856,2 million Budget Vote in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, Ntuli said the budget was about “building direction” for government at a time when the province continued to recover from the economic and social setbacks caused by the July 2021 unrest, devastating floods and a constrained fiscal environment.

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Reflecting on the challenges inherited by the government of provincial unity (GPU) after taking office in 2024, Ntuli said the administration had chosen to confront difficult realities rather than offer excuses.

“These were not easy inheritances — this administration does not run from hard truths. We confront them. We work through them. We deliver despite them,” he said.

While Ntuli conceded there had been service delivery challenges, he said the Office of the Premier should not be judged against frontline service delivery departments.

A hospital budget builds wards. A roads budget builds bridges. Our budget builds direction. It builds coherence. It builds the systems that make every other department’s work possible.

Since its establishment following the 2024 general election, which produced no outright winner in KwaZulu-Natal and nationally, the GPU has secured investment pledges worth R89 billion in 2024 and R101 billion in 2025, representing growth of 13,5%.

“This tells investors one thing clearly: KwaZulu-Natal is open, and KwaZulu-Natal delivers,” he said.

Ntuli also pointed to improvements in crime statistics, saying murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, aggravated robbery, carjacking and residential burglary had all declined.

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“These are not just numbers. These are families sleeping easier at night.”

However, Ntuli said crime hotspots, including Inanda, Umlazi, Plessislaer, Durban Central, Chatsworth, Phoenix, Pinetown, KwaMashu and Ntuzuma, continued to require focused interventions.

The premier said infrastructure projects, including upgrades to the Port of Durban, improvements along the N3 corridor, the expansion of Dube TradePort and development in the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone, had contributed to economic recovery and employment.

“More than 6 000 jobs have been recovered since late 2024,” Ntuli said, adding that KwaZulu-Natal’s economy had outperformed national growth over the past two years.

He said, the Office of the Premier will continue strengthening the District Development Model and Operation Sukuma Sakhe while revitalising community war rooms to improve service delivery and support struggling municipalities.

Ntuli also announced that government would soon launch an Infrastructure Council to complement six existing provincial councils dealing with crime, climate change, economic development, HIV/Aids, social cohesion and human resource development.

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The province, Ntuli said, would intensify programmes aimed at tackling undocumented migration, gender-based violence, climate change and developing secondary cities.

Of the R856,2 million budget, R234,2 million has been allocated to Administration, R392,7 million to Institutional Development and R229,2 million to Policy and Governance.

Ntuli also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to modernising the Zulu monarchy, revealing that a Board of the Zulu Royal Household Trust had been established to strengthen governance, improve financial sustainability and oversee development initiatives.

A modernised monarchy does not lose its heritage. It sharpens its impact.

“It becomes a stronger partner to the state, a stronger anchor for our people and a stronger symbol of who we are as a nation,” he said.

While the DA welcomed the Premier’s Budget Vote, it raised concerns, particularly about the prioritisation of economic growth projects.

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“The OTP (Office of the Premier)’s mandate is to drive provincial economic strategy. Yet allocations towards economic innovation, investment promotion and industrial policy co-ordination are limited.

“This gap must be addressed if KZN is to unlock its full potential,” DA provincial spokesperson on the Office of the Premier Tim Brauteseth said.

MK Party spokesperson on the Office of the Premier Stix Nene said the party rejected Ntuli’s Budget Vote.

“Today, we send a clear message: the people of KwaZulu-Natal are tired of promises.

They are tired of reports that celebrate processes while communities suffer.

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“We therefore reject this budget and call for a government that prioritises economic justice, accountability, service delivery and the genuine upliftment of our people,” he said.