Johannesburg - South Africa’ s 10 kings are each getting a salary of R1m a year as well as many other benefits and subsidies - all courtesy of taxpayers.

A government official confirmed that 10 kings, 829 senior traditional leaders and 5 311 chiefs had been paid over R650m over the past year, reported Beeld.

The kings’  official salaries were R927 000 a year, but each province determined what benefits and other subsidies were paid in addition to that.

KZN last year paid R59m for Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini and his royal household, which included 27 children.

Zwelethini also asked for an additional R18m to build a palace for the youngest of his six wives.

The Eastern Cape’ s four kings each got a brand new Mercedes-Benz ML 320CDI of about R703 000 in the past year.

Constitutional expert Pierre de Vos said the Constitution didn’ t specify renumeration of traditional leaders and kings.