Keypoints:
- King Misuzulu used an offensive term while urging migrants to leave
- Speech has reignited xenophobia concerns nationwide
- Experts warn rhetoric may embolden vigilante groups
SOUTH Africa’s Zulu monarch has ignited a national backlash after using a highly offensive term for foreign nationals and calling on them to leave the country during a speech that had been expected to calm growing anti-migrant tensions.
The remarks by Misuzulu kaZwelithini, delivered at a historic commemoration in KwaZulu-Natal, have reopened deep societal fault lines around migration, identity and political populism — underscoring the volatile role traditional authority continues to play in a democratic South Africa struggling with unemployment and inequality.
A charged moment at Isandlwana
The king was addressing thousands of supporters at Isandlwana Hill, where Zulu forces defeated a British regiment in 1879 during the Anglo-Zulu War.
The Battle of Isandlwana remains a powerful symbol of resistance and sovereignty for many Zulus — one of the few recorded military victories over a European colonial army in southern Africa. Annual commemorations typically focus on heritage, unity and pride.
This year’s event, however, unfolded amid rising anger over migration in KwaZulu-Natal, a province grappling with economic stagnation, high youth unemployment and growing political radicalisation.
Instead of urging restraint, the 51-year-old monarch told the crowd that all ‘kwerekwere’ — a derogatory slur directed at African migrants — must ‘pack their bags’ and return to their countries of origin.
‘Even if my nephew’s father is a kwerekwere, the kwerekwere must leave. Only the child will remain,’ he said, prompting cheers and laughter from parts of the audience.
Outrage and unease nationwide
Although King Misuzulu did not advocate violence, his remarks quickly drew condemnation from civil society organisations, legal experts and political commentators, who warned that such language risks legitimising hostility towards foreign communities.
Many online pointed to the irony of the comments, noting that the king’s own mother was from Eswatini and that one of his wives is also from the neighbouring kingdom.
While the Zulu monarch holds no formal political authority, his influence is significant. Roughly one-fifth of South Africa’s population identifies as Zulu, and the monarchy receives substantial public funding. The king also presides over the Ingonyama Trust, which controls vast tracts of communal land in KwaZulu-Natal intended for community benefit.
Xenophobia’s long history
South Africa is home to an estimated 2.4 million migrants — around 4 percent of the population — primarily from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.
Despite filling critical labour gaps in construction, agriculture and domestic work, migrants have long been scapegoated for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.
The country’s unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world at approximately 33 percent, with youth unemployment significantly higher.
Deadly xenophobic violence has erupted repeatedly since the early 2000s, notably in 2008 and again in 2015, when dozens were killed and tens of thousands displaced.
The king’s remarks echoed those of his late father, Goodwill Zwelithini, who in 2015 urged migrants to ‘pack their belongings’. Although he later claimed he had been misquoted, South Africa’s human rights commission ruled the comments ‘hurtful and harmful’.
Political mobilisation and street pressure
Migration has become a potent political tool, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, whose strongest support lies in the province, has adopted populist messaging advocating tougher action against undocumented migrants.
That climate has contributed to the rise of vigilante movements such as Operation Dudula and March on March, groups that have staged workplace raids, targeted foreign-owned shops and attempted to bar migrants from accessing public institutions.
‘Dudula’, meaning ‘to remove by force’ in isiZulu, has become a defining slogan of South Africa’s street-level anti-migrant activism.
School protest exposes misinformation
Just days before the king’s speech, tensions flared at Addington Primary School in Durban.
Protesters claimed — incorrectly — that 90 percent of pupils were children of migrants, prompting safety concerns that forced the school to release learners early. Police were deployed the following day.
Provincial authorities later confirmed that immigrant learners account for 37 percent of the school’s enrolment.
Nationally, the education department says 253,618 foreign pupils are enrolled in public schools — just 1.8 percent of total learners. Under South African law, all children have a constitutional right to basic education regardless of nationality or immigration status.
Experts warn of dangerous signals
Human rights lawyer Dr Vusumusi Sibanda told the BBC that the king’s comments were ‘deeply worrying’.
‘When a figure of such symbolic authority speaks in this way, ordinary citizens may feel permitted to take the law into their own hands,’ he said.
Lizette Lancaster of the Institute for Security Studies said the remarks risked inflaming already volatile conditions.
‘Activism is protected in law, but orchestrated vigilantism and incitement against migrants must be clearly identified and addressed,’ she said.
Courts have already intervened. In November, a judge ordered Operation Dudula to halt attempts to block foreign nationals from accessing public schools and health facilities, ruling such actions unlawful.
Renaming debate deepens concern
The king also reignited controversy by calling for the removal of ‘Natal’ from the province’s name, arguing it should be known simply as KwaZulu.
While some view the proposal as part of decolonisation, critics warn it risks reviving ethnic nationalism in one of South Africa’s most diverse regions.
In the early 1990s, political violence between supporters of Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress and Zulu nationalist factions nearly derailed the country’s democratic transition.
Cultural historian Professor Musa Xulu cautioned against historical revisionism.
‘KwaZulu-Natal is not a Zulu province in reality — it is multicultural,’ he said. ‘Renaming it KwaZulu would distort history and risk dangerous exceptionalism.’
A monarchy at a crossroads
Since ascending the throne in 2022, King Misuzulu has largely remained outside national political debates, with public attention focused on succession disputes and personal controversies.
This speech marks a turning point — placing the Zulu monarchy firmly within South Africa’s most combustible national issue.
For many observers, the fear is that the king may now be following his father’s path — reopening social wounds that have never truly healed.
