King Misuzulu distances royal house from anti-immigration marches

Durban – King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has distanced the Zulu monarchy from planned anti-immigration marches, saying the protests should not be framed as a Zulu-led campaign.

According to Times Live, the king’s spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, said the monarch had not called for or endorsed the marches, although he supports peaceful democratic protest and rejects violence.

He also warned against attempts to ethnicise the issue, stressing that immigration concerns affect all South Africans rather than one cultural group.

Prince Zulu said: “The king has nothing to do with the march. He has not given any instruction to the people,” adding that it is incorrect to portray the mobilisation as a Zulu nation initiative.

He further cautioned that: “We are concerned that people have turned the focus to the Zulu nation as if this is a march of the Zulu nation.”

Meanwhile, the African Inclusion Coalition has continued its protest outside Parliament, with the group expected to hand over a memorandum of demands on Sunday, EWN reported.

The coalition, which is now on day two of its demonstration, is opposing what it calls rising anti-illegal immigrant sentiment and calling for stronger measures to prevent xenophobia.

The group’s president, Dano de Waal, said they are also engaging organisations such as Gift of the Givers and the Department of Basic Education to explore support for displaced migrants, including the possible use of school facilities.

He said the coalition believes systemic failures at the Department of Home Affairs are worsening the number of undocumented migrants, arguing that the department is not effectively assisting people seeking to legalise their stay.

De Waal added: “During Apartheid, when our own brothers and sisters were exiled to neighbouring countries, we were not rejected. But now, those who supported the fight against Apartheid are being brutalised.”

Authorities are expected to monitor the protest activity as both the coalition’s picket and wider immigration debates continue to draw national attention.