KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize, left, is joined by Co-operative Governance MEC Nomusa Dube, Speaker of the legislature Peggy Nkonyeni and King Goodwill Zwelithini during Wednesday’s official opening of the provincial House of Traditional Leaders in Ulundi, KZN.
Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini, has called for the establishment of a rural development bank to help rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal who are not served by the major commercial banks.
Speaking on Wednesday, at a conference titled “Rethinking Rural Development in KwaZulu-Natal”, Zwelithini said the proposed co-operative bank would have to focus on financing rural development projects.
The three-day conference, which was organised by the king and the Ingonyama Land Trust, marks the official launch of the Ingonyama Rural Development Forum, an informal network of traditional leaders, experts, research institutions, businesses and policy-makers charged with crafting policies to speed up rural development in KZN.
In his address, the king urged traditional leaders and various experts on development to work together towards the setting up of the bank.