Durban - King Goodwill Zwelithini appealed to people on Tuesday to stop the burning of factories if the country was to prosper.
He also spoke out against the killing of albinos for muti, saying the practice had to end.
The king was speaking during the launch of a coffee manufacturing plant in Estcourt on Tuesday afternoon.
He appealed to people to stop burning down factories, saying this had a negative impact on society as jobs were at stake.
Nestlé has invested R1.2 billion in the expansion of its factory in Estcourt.
The event was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Bheki Cele, and KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture Cyril Xaba.
“Don’t attack your own industries and don’t burn them.
“If you have problems with the companies, you must sit around the table and negotiate.
“We can’t allow a situation whereby people vandalise because they don’t agree with how companies conduct their businesses,” said the king.
He was referring to the recent burning of factories in Isithebe, near Mandeni.
This put in jeopardy a number of jobs in the region as some of the factories were forced to close for renovations.
“No foreign investment will come into our country if the industries are in flames.
“You must respect the industries because they are looking after your families by providing employment and this helps the economy to grow. I plead with you to stop this,” he added.
The king was also at pains to describe how drought was crippling farming throughout the country.
“I know of some farmers who have committed suicide because of this scourge.
“I call on the nation to pray for rain. Prayer works and we have read in the Bible that people prayed and God heard them and the rain followed.
“I have been on the throne for 45 years now and it is the first time that I am witnessing a drought such as this one. The land will produce what you didn’t expect when you pray,” he said.
The king also appealed to those who killed albinos for muti to cease.
“It cannot be right that some people are discriminated against and killed because they have a different skin colour. God will judge harshly those who kill others. We must change the way we do things.”
In welcoming Nestlé’s investment in the province, the king said it was the right thing to do to uplift rural communities.
With the R1.2 billion investment, Nestlé has taken its investment to R2.9 billion in the past five years.
Cele said it would be better if the chicory used to make coffee could be planted in South Africa.
But he welcomed the investment as a good sign for the economy and community that jobs would be provided.
The Mercury