A violent march in Buffalo City on Monday turned chaotic as several vehicles were torched and shops were damaged and looted, following the stabbing of a local man. The march, which started from the KuGompo City beachfront to the City Hall, was in protest of the coronation of Nigerian King Solomon Egbonna Eziko in the city about two weeks ago.
The march, led by nonprofit organisation March & March and various political parties, was centred on calls for the deportation of the west African country’s “Igbo King”, whom they accused of undermining the country’s recognised traditional leadership systems. As the organisers of the march were about to hand over their memorandum to the authorities, a local associate of March & March reported that he had been stabbed in the back.
The man claimed he had been stabbed by foreign nationals in Buffalo Street. In retaliation, marchers left the gathering in front of the City Hall and headed to an outlet in Buffalo Street where the man had reportedly been stabbed. Chaos erupted as marchers began stoning several shops belonging to foreign nationals, while others set vehicles alight.
Nigerian King Controversy
News24 witnessed several foreign nationals closing their shops while others fled the city in fear of attacks. As police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets to contain the situation, government officials, including Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Deputy Minister Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, scrambled for cover in the Buffalo City Metro’s boardroom. On her Facebook page, March & March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma claimed the man, one of its members, had been attacked by foreign nationals.
The man was taken to Frere Hospital for treatment. Before the attack, Ngobese-Zuma told News24 the purpose of the march was to “spread the message” and called on South Africans to take “ownership of their country”. For more information on the South African government’s stance on foreign nationals,
Demands for Deportation
“For so long, we have kept quiet while foreign nationals were doing as they please, so much so that they think they can [have] a king here [in KuGompo]. We are tired of foreign nationals coming to our country illegally. We want foreign nationals, who are not in the country legally, to exit our country. We want government to take this call seriously,” said Ngobese-Zuma.
Former radio presenter Ngizwe Mchunu, who was part of the march, said: “We are united in one voice and calling all [undocumented] foreign nationals to leave our country. We are tired of them.” Buffalo City Mayor Princess Faku condemned the violent conduct by the marchers. Here are some key points to note about the situation:
- The coronation of Nigerian King Solomon Egbonna Eziko sparked the violent march.
- Several vehicles were torched and shops were damaged and looted during the march.
- The march was led by nonprofit organisation March & March and various political parties.
- The government has scheduled a meeting with the High Commissioner of Nigeria to discuss the issue.
According to the Wikipedia page on immigration to South Africa, the country has a complex history of migration. Burns-Ncamashe said a meeting between the High Commissioner of Nigeria and various South African ministries was scheduled to take place on 8 April.
