‘Our king has been used as an excuse’

Published Apr 20, 2015

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Durban - Speakers at the peace imbizo in Durban on Monday said Zulu King Goodwill Zwelinthini had been unfairly blamed for the xenophobic violence in South Africa which has left at least seven people dead and displaced thousands.

Various speakers, including Freedom Party leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, criticised the media for what they termed careless reporting and accused reporters of distorting the king’s speech at Pongolo in northern KwaZulu-Natal last month. Some have interpreted the speech as the spark that drove anti-foreigner sentiment and three weeks of deadly attacks.

Addressing the crowd of several thousand people inside Moses Mabhida Stadium, Buthelezi called for an end to the attacks and said: “We are gathered here in a time of crisis, violence is gripping the country. Our people are attacking the very same people who offered us shelter during apartheid. There is no sense in what is happening. We are ashamed. Our King has been used as an excuse.”

Chief Chiliza, the chairman of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, also called for the end to the bloodshed.

“We want peace. Bloodshed is not the solution to poverty and unemployment. Arms down!,” he said.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu said the past few days had been challenging, saying “people are failing to live in harmony that has resulted in bloodshed”.

He criticised the media for publishing images that fueled the attacks directed at foreign nationals, saying: “The media has made us look bad in the international community through the published images.”

Earlier in the day anti-foreigner sentiment ran high, even among the amabutho (the king’s regiment) who could be heard chanting that foreigners should leave South Africa while the crowd of several thousand mostly hostel dwellers, armed with sticks and knobkierries, jeered when delegates from other countries were introduced.

There were no foreigners present at the imbizo. Members of the king’s regiment could be heard chanting: “Abahambe abahambayo, sizosebenza (those who want to leave can go ahead, we are here to work).”

Thulani Zulu, head of the monarch’s regiment from Ulundi, said the crowd had come out to defend King Zwelithini as he never said people should attack foreigners.

“Government should deal with the criminals who are carrying out the acts of violence against foreigners. If the King had said people should attack foreigners, there would be serious bloodshed,” Zulu said.

Jabu Nzimande from Berea told ANA that while she did not condone the beating and killing of foreigners, they were welcome to leave South Africa.

“Government must speak the truth, they must take action against the drug lords who are foreigners,” Nzimande said. “We voted for freedom, but not to be ruled by foreigners. They are selling drugs and destroying our communities.”

ANA

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