Johannesburg - Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini was on Tuesday slammed as a "sellout" after he announced his intention to enter a partnership with AfriForum.
The Zulu king announced at the annual Shaka Day celebration that he was partnering with the organisation to promote agriculture and strengthen food security.
"The Zulu nation I'm talking about will not exist if we don't have food. That's why I say farmers must come closer so that we can discuss what we can do when we talk about agriculture and the availability of enough food in the land.
"That's why I'm asking AfriForum to come and help us," Zwelithini said in isiZulu.
The king's remarks did not go down well with social media users, with many slamming him over the announcement and labelling him a sellout.
See some reactions to Zwelithini's remarks:
Anybody who forms an alliance with @afriforum is a sellout and should be treated as such!
King Zwelithini is sellout.
Uyabheda lowa muntu!! pic.twitter.com/cmMGGnKyGV
— Hannah Sankara (@HannahSankara) October 9, 2018
King Zwelithini needs to stop embarrassing us
— Ayanda M* (@Ayola_M) October 9, 2018
King Zwelithini is not going into this with his eyes wide open. We can NEVER form an alliance with the worst of our enemies, NEVER! He's been duped by these Dutch.
— Renaît (@lerenait) October 9, 2018
King Zwelithini is not protecting the land for abantu bakhe. He's simply protecting it for himself. I feel for the Zulu nation.
— Mbongeni (@MGegana7) October 9, 2018
If really King Zwelithini was concerned about agricultural development in KZN, which has always been there, doing well too... would have strengthened partnership with @AgriSAOfficial not Afrikaans protection group who want to protect their farmers in KZN.
Who’s protecting us?
— Thembinkosi Madlala (@Madlala_TM) October 9, 2018
King Zwelithini has sold the Zulu nation to @afriforum just like other Zulu Kings before him. pic.twitter.com/LSCkciMHBs
— Nkululeko Somacala-Manciya (@nkulipp) October 9, 2018