King launches bursary scheme for rural pupils

KING Goodwill Zwelithini is hoping to have companies and businesses that do business with Ingonyama Trust contribute towards his newly-established education bursary scheme for rural pupils.

Speaking at the official opening of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature in Pietermaritzburg, the king announced the formation of his bursary fund.

“The painful situation that confronts pupils and teachers in rural areas emanates from infrastructure, inadequate allocation of teachers for certain subjects, and lack of bursaries,” he said.

The monarch said the bursary scheme, formed after consultation with the Ingonyama Trust board, would assist pupils from areas administered by traditional leaders.

“As I have started the bursary scheme, I will liaise with all businesses that operate on the land under the Ingonyama Trust, including mining companies, shopping malls and cellular companies that have cellphone masts in areas of traditional leaders, to lend support to the bursary scheme,” he said.

“I am doing so because businesses and companies would be painting a bad picture if their aim is just to make profit and not care about the owners of land.”

The king said he would also continue with the KZN peace process he started in 2012. He said political killings were not only affecting parties, but impacted on investment to the province.

A summit will be held on March 2, where stakeholders would report on work done towards the peace process.

The king expected reports commissioned by the KwaZulu-Natal government on social cohesion after the xenophobic attacks last year to be presented.