The Zulu royal household has rejected calls for King Misuzulu kaZwelithini to publicly intervene in ongoing protests against illegal immigrants, saying the issue is a national matter and should not be framed as one involving the AmaZulu alone.
In a statement, royal family spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu said it was concerning that some commentators and media reports were calling on the king to make a public pronouncement while portraying the protests as a Zulu matter. He said South Africans from different communities and provinces are exercising their constitutional right to raise concerns, and marches are happening across all provinces in all eleven official languages.
Zulu said it is inaccurate and divisive to single out the Zulu monarch. He questioned why similar demands were not being directed at President Cyril Ramaphosa or provincial premiers. He added that the debate should focus on the impact of illegal immigration on South Africa’s resources, public services and security.
He warned media houses against attempts to create tribal divisions for sensational headlines, saying the king is a symbol of unity and peace and will not be moved by media noise.
The remarks come amid renewed debate over the role of traditional leaders in immigration discussions. In 2015, the late King Goodwill Zwelithini sparked controversy when he called on illegal immigrants to leave South Africa. Critics linked his remarks to xenophobic violence that later erupted in Durban, though a Human Rights Commission investigation found the speech did not constitute hate speech and was not the cause of the violence.
Meanwhile, traditional prime minister Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has said that only the king has the right to command Zulu regiments, following suspicions that regiments were being used during protests targeting illegal immigrants.
