Treasury side-steps additional funding for Reed Dance festival venue-change

KWAZULU-NATAL'S Treasury said it will not provide additional funding for this year’s Reed Dance festival to compensate for the extra costs incurred by king Misuzulu kaZwelithini’s decision to move the event away from the R140 million amphitheatre at Enyokeni royal palace.

- WILLEM PHUNGULA

It came as a surprise when the king announced at the weekend that the September event will be held at Mashobeni Palace in Pongola, and not the recently completed 2 000 capacity Enyokeni amphitheatre, which had been built to accommodate guests attending the event.

The move meant that the government may need extra funding to cater for VIP marquees and toilets, which would not be necessary if the festival remained at the original venue.

However, Finance MEC Francois Rodgers dismissed fears that the cash-strapped provincial government would have to bear the additional costs.