‘Don’t blame king for attacks’

King Goodwill Zwelithini

King Goodwill Zwelithini

Published Apr 1, 2015

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Durban - The Royal Household Trust has sought to shoot down claims that King Goodwill Zwelithini called for foreigners to pack up and leave, incited violence and inspired the recent attacks on foreigners in Isipingo, south of Durban.

The king was not present at a press conference held by the trust on Tuesday, but its chairman, Judge Jerome Ngwenya, said he had studied the king’s speech made in the presence of Police Minister Nathi Nhleko and Community Safety MEC Willies Mchunu two weeks ago at the Pongola Country Club at a meeting on moral regeneration.

He said the king had no issues with foreigners who lived in the country legally, but had decried the state of South Africa’s weak law enforcement and border control which enabled immigrants to enter illegally and perpetrate crime.

On the violent Isipingo attacks on foreigners and their assets this week, which were said to have been fuelled by the king’s comments, Ngwenya said the king should not be made a scapegoat for criminality.

“There can be no justification to invoke illegal means to resolve any concerns of one person. What is happening around Isipingo is a matter of concern to the Royal Household and the king himself.

“I spoke to him (king) … and he said (the Isipingo matter) has reached his ears. Again we can blame the inaccurate reporting because someone is saying foreigners must be dealt with, that is highly irresponsible,” he said.

The king had attempted to set the record straight on the matter and expressed his concern at the violent community and service delivery protests, which he believed were a front for criminality.

Ngwenya acknowledged that the king went off script, but said at no point did he call for foreigners to be mishandled.

Ngwenya said they had written to the SA Human Rights Commission after a complaint about the comments.

He said the Royal Household did not have an audio recording of the speech and was counting on a newspaper to provide the commission with the recording.

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