Durban - King Goodwill Zwelithini has said that his patience is wearing thin with students burning down universities, and he will seek meetings with heads of the institutions to discuss how he can provide protection.
The king’s comments at this weekend’s Reed Dance event followed a number of incidents in which property at campuses of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zululand was burnt, allegedly by students demanding the scrapping of tuition fees.
There have also been protests and vandalism at other universities and schools in other provinces.
“To the heads of higher education institutions, my hands are open if they feel that the intervention of the royal family can bring a difference. I have set up a team which can help them,” he said.
He was addressing thousands of maidens gathered at his Enyokeni Palace in Nongoma on Saturday. King Zwelithini also lashed out at the government, which he said had made unrealistic promises to the students.
The king has recently been making pronouncements on issues of national importance, which some believe may indicate that he is considering playing an active role in the running of the government.
Delivering his keynote address at another reed dance ceremony in Gwavuma, near Jozini, last week, the king warned the ANC for failing to deal with political killings, and various political parties for failing to resolve stand-offs in forming councils in hung municipalities. He said he was ready to take over the leadership of his nation if the governing party failed to lead.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu said on Saturday that his government had taken the king’s advice “very seriously”.
“We listened to the king’s words, and heard them. We will always respect your words,” he said.
The king said students’ violence was painting a picture of a failing nation. “It shows the destruction of the (Zulu) nation, which King Shaka built,” he said.
His main concern was parents who were not disciplining their children.
“Who are the parents of those orchestrating the destruction of South Africans' property with fire? Why do the parents leave everything to police and government when their children go wild?
“Why are you parents quiet when you see on TV your sons and daughters burning down property?”
The king called on the government to form a forum in which university leaders, the government and students could discuss issues.
“We understand your (students') complaints, but be careful that your actions should not taint the struggle of your fathers, which brought liberation in 1994,” he said.
He criticised the government for failing to tell students that “we have not managed to deliver, we are appealing that you wait for us”.
“My appeal to traditional leaders is that they should make sure that there is no school burnt down in their areas in this province.
“I appeal today to all Zulus to protect anything that is the heritage of the Zulu nation in this province,” he said.
The king also fired a salvo at the Gender Commission for associating virginity testing and the Reed Dance with the abuse of maidens’ rights.
He said while the traditional practice had helped young women to abstain from sex before marriage and have a bright future, the commission should show evidence of its contribution.
“Where are these clever people (the commission) when there are 3 000 young girls who are impregnated by old men?
“We have produced nurses, lawyers and teachers. What have they produced?” he asked.
UKZN spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the university would welcome the king’s intervention “because nobody can say no to the king”.
“The king is the leader of the people of KwaZulu-Natal, and he can play a significant role in ensuring that we don’t have what is happening at the university, not only in KZN but across South Africa.
“We believe by virtue of commanding such magnitude of respect, he could help ensure that we no longer have the kind of violence we are seeing,” he said.
IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said the maidens’ choice to attend the Reed Dance opened doors to a better future.
“Your good decisions secure more than your future, they secure the future of our nation,” he said.
UKZN SRC president Senzo Ngidi said the king had a right to take action as the leader of the Zulu nation.
However, he blamed the police’s “attacks” on students for the violence on campuses.
The Mercury