Scenes from KuGompo City show damaged cars as dozens protested the reported installation of a Nigerian man as king
Image: Pedro Mapelo / I'solezwe lesiXhosa
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for the arrest of those who instigated violence in KuGompo in the Eastern Cape, adding that they should be held liable for damages.
This comes after residents had gathered at City Hall to oppose the coronation of Igbo chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko.
The protest was linked to his alleged self-proclaimed coronation as the “King of the Igbo Nation.”
On Monday, a faction of the crowd broke away, setting fire to ten vehicles and looting local shops.
EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party was reaffirming the importance and role of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in determining and legitimising kings, queens, traditional leaders, and royal authorities in South Africa.
He said this followed “ongoing debate and uproar” regarding the alleged coronation in KuGompo, formerly East London.
Thambo described the act as “irresponsible”, saying it had led to a “rightful and justified outcry by the people of KuGompo, the Eastern Cape and South Africa at large”.
He added that “a responsible provincial and national government ought to have outlined the prescripts that allow one to be recognised as a royal authority in South Africa clearly and timeously, to avoid the violence seen today in the City”.
He explained that the recognition of a king or queen requires the Minister for COGTA to make recommendations to the President, in line with the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019, with such recognition formalised through publication in a Government Gazette.
“It is therefore not only offensive, but also illegal for any individual to declare themselves a monarch outside of these legislative processes,” Thambo said.
He added that “it is even more insulting for a foreign national to declare Kingship in another country”.
He said kingship in South Africa was not merely ceremonial but was tied to a legislative framework that confers authority over people and land under the sovereignty of the state.
The EFF also said the media had a responsibility to report accurately and to clearly indicate whether legislative requirements had been met before suggesting that a coronation had taken place.
The party further condemned “all political parties and actors who have been involved in the destruction of properties in KuGompo, and those who have harmed civilians in an effort to score cheap political points from a situation that did not warrant violence”.
The EFF said it had instructed its structures in the Buffalo City Metropolitan to monitor the situation and assist South Africans whose infrastructure had been damaged.
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