THE KING HAS SPOKEN: "WE WILL NOT STANDBY WHILE AMAZULU ARE USED AS SCAPEGOATS."

A National Issue, Not a Tribal One

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has broken his silence on the intensifying debate over illegal foreign nationals.

Speaking through his spokesperson, Prince Thulani Zulu, he firmly rejected any attempt to drag the Zulu monarchy and the AmaZulu nation into the controversy.

On Friday, 5 June, Prince Thulani shared a statement on social media and it reads as follow:

"We note with serious concern the reckless narrative being pushed by certain media outlets and individuals that seek to frame concerns about illegal foreign nationals as a 'Zulu matter'."

He argued that public demonstrations and calls for action regarding illegal immigrats are taking place throughout the country and involve citizens from diverse cultural and traditional backgrounds.

"Let it be clear: The people of South Africa are exercising their constitutional and democratic right to voice concern about matters affecting their communities, safety, and livelihoods."

"These marches are happening across all provinces, in all eleven official languages, and involve citizens from every nation and traditional community in this country. Every nation has its own King and leadership," he explained.

He then turned his attention to what he viewed as selective scrutiny, asking why the same questions were not being posed to the President, the country's nine provincial premiers, and political parties that have remained conspicuously silent on the matter.

"To deliberately single out AmaZulu and His Majesty the Zulu King is a racial target of the highest order. It is divisive, it is inaccurate, and it will not be tolerated,"

"Where are the same questions for the President of the Republic? Where are the questions for the 9 Provincial Premiers? Where are the demands for political parties who have remained silent? The issue is national, not tribal?" he asked.

He maintained that immigration, border control, public services, and national security are matters that fall within the broader responsibility of government and political leadership.

Warning against “Manufactured tribal conflict”

He further accused some media outlets of attempting to create tribal divisions around an issue that affects the entire country.

"We warn media houses and commentators: Report facts, not fiction. Do not manufacture tribal conflict for clicks and headlines. We will not stand by while AmaZulu are used as scapegoats for a national challenge."

King will not be drawn into political noise

In defence of the monarch, the statement emphasised that King Misuzulu KaZwelithini remains focused on his role as a symbol of unity and national cohesion, insisting that he would not be sidetracked by sensationalist media narratives surrounding the issue.

"The real matter that must be addressed is the impact of illegal foreign nationals on South Africa's resources, services, and security. That is the elephant in the room. Attempts to shift blame and create tribal divisions will be rejected with the firmness they deserve," he said.

Background to the statement

The statement comes against the backdrop of a growing nationwide backlash against illegal immigration, with protesters across multiple provinces demanding that illegal immigrants be removed from the country. They also want government to secure South African borders.

The civic movement March and March, led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, has held mass demonstrations in cities including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban amongst others and has set a deadline of 30 June 2026 for people without legal documentation to leave the country.

On 2 June, residents in Ekurhuleni and Ladysmith marched demanding that undocumented immigrants leave by 30 June. The same week, President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged a tougher response to illegal migration while cautioning against xenophobia and vigilantism during the Presidency Budget Vote in Parliament.

Government ministers had earlier convened a closed-door "high-level" meeting to address the protests, after which March and March leaders said they had little confidence in the outcome. Movement organisers have publicly stated the campaign is directed at illegal immigration rather than ethnic groups, with leader Sandile Dube stating the mobilisation is not based on tribal or ethnic divisions and affects multiple provinces.