During a May 7, 2026 briefing, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency addressed boos she faced in Zulu-speaking Vosloorus while speaking English, Venda, and Sepedi amid anti-immigration protests. She called language demands a mask for xenophobia, pointing to harassment of South Africans from other groups, and declared she won’t learn isiZulu—or add Xitsonga and Sepedi—until their king reciprocates, highlighting South Africa’s 12 official languages and English as a bridge.
Reactions divide sharply, with supporters backing multilingual respect and critics accusing her of disrespecting King Misuzulu and stoking tribalism amid unrest over unemployment, crime, and undocumented migrants.
🚨 Minister Ntshavheni:
"I will NOT be bullied into speaking isiZulu." 😭🇿🇦
South Africa is slowly becoming: "Show us your ID, your passport… and now your language settings too?"
12 official languages and counting but somehow some people act like isiZulu is the WiFi password… pic.twitter.com/JbubjQP0F6
— In A Nutshell🥜 (@Markosonke1) May 7, 2026