South Africa’s Zulu monarch, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, has ignited fresh concern over the country’s volatile immigration climate after using a derogatory term for foreign nationals and insisting they should leave the country.
His comments, delivered during a high‑profile address in KwaZulu‑Natal province, have raised fears that South Africa may be edging toward another wave of xenophobic unrest.
Speaking at Isandlwana, the historic site of the 1879 Zulu victory over British forces, the king told supporters that all “kwerekwere” – a slur directed at black African migrants – must “pack their bags,” even if they have South African partners or children.
“We will speak to the ‘kwerekweres’ and tell them to leave. There is nobody who does not have a home to return to,” he said.
South Africa hosts more than two million migrants, many from neighbouring Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Tensions over jobs and public services have fuelled periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence, including deadly attacks in 2008, 2015 and 2019.
Critics have also highlighted the irony of Misuzulu’s stance, given that his mother and one of his wives are from Eswatini.
Another irony is that the xenophobia is not targeted at white migrants, whether they are from neighbouring countries or elsewhere.
His remarks have amplified fears that inflammatory rhetoric from influential leaders could once again trigger violence in communities already grappling with economic hardship.
JN/APA