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13:51 King Goodwill Zwelithini is now addressing the crowd.
King Goodwill Zwelithini is now addressing the crowd.
The months of March and April have been difficult months in the life of Africa, reports an eNCA translator.
13:52
Most of these attacks are directed toward people from other parts of Africa, the king said in Zulu, and translated into English by eNCA.
South Africa has gone out and done the very things that were warned against in the Human Rights Watch reports of 2009.
We have not learnt from the mistakes of the past, reported eNCA.
13:53 by Khabza Mkhize
“This speech has become central and very important,” the king continued in Zulu, and translated into English by eNCA.
“It has become more important now than when it was given. That is why this Imbizo was called.
“I’ve called this Imbizo so we can take action against those who are doing these things.
13:54by Khabza Mkhize
“The speech I made was taken out of context by the media and it is now important to explain and clarify,” Zwelithini says.
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13:54by Khabza Mkhize
“There’s a third force that we must look at,” Zwelithini claims.
13:57
King Zwelithini:” I’ve called this Imbizo to initiate a war, a real war against the violence directed at foreign nationals. #XenoImbizo
“When we see people violating the rule of law, we must ensure these people are brought to book,”| says King Zwelithini.
13:58
“Peace must be first and foremost,” urged the King.
14:04 Urgent calls to “close the gap”
Prince and politician Mangosuthu Buthelezi has defended his fellow Zulu royal, the monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini.
“We need to be seen restoring order,” he says after weeks of xenophobic violence in Durban and further afield.
Some claim remarks by the monarch, likening people to insects and ascribing the moral degeneratio of South Africa to the presence of illegal migrants, sparked the violence.
“We need to undo this damage as swiftly as possible,” says Buthelezi. He insists Zwelithini did not incite assault and murder.
14:04 Song follows translation into Zulu
After speaking in English, Mangosuthu Buthelezi now translates his speech into Zulu, addressing thousands at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“I was very disturbed by when the media said Isilo is the cause of all this,” says Buthelezi.
14:04 King Goodwill Zwelithini takes to the stand
After songs of praise from an Imbongi, the monarch begins his speech. He thanks dignitaries at the anti-xenophobia Imbizo.
Unlike the last two occasions he spoke in public, this time the royal wears a suit and tie, and not his usual garb, or invunulo.
14:05
King Goodwill Zwelithini tells thousands at Moses Mabhida Stadium that they will also grow old one day and they must now listen to him, and obey his instruction.
“The months of March and April, these appear to be difficult months in regard as to Africa,” he says in Zulu.
In March, Zwelithini commented on foreign nationals during a social regeneration gathering Pongolo. In that speech, he encouraged his audience to farm, and said that foreigners took advantage of locals’ laziness. He also referred to people as ants and lice.
The Kings’ comments causes a ruckus, and some claim his words triggered weeks of xenophobic violence that followed, but the King and his supporters claim he was misunderstood, and quoted out of context.
Seven people have died in the interceding weeks of xenophobic violence, and police say 300 people have been arrested.
14:05 The 2008 wave of xenophobia
King Goodwill Zwelithini recalls the xenophobic violence of 2008 in South Africa, saying the death toll was more than 68.
He says we can learn a lot from what we’ve seen in the past, in 2008, from the Human Rights Commission and the tribunal for Rwanda.
“When you look at South Africa, it is doing what it was cautioned not to do, from the reports that I have mentioned.”
“A lot of people who listened to me in Pongolo have not killed anyone. Nor have we heard that Pongolo is burning.”
He adds that those who heard him speaking there in March understand Zulu, and fully understood his meaning. This, argues the royal, proved he did not incite violence against foreign nationals.
14:06 The King writes to the Human Rights Commission
King Goodwill Zwelithini says he has written two letters to the South African Human Rights Commission regarding his comments on foreigners, made in Pongolo, KwaZulu-Natal in March 2015.
He says he wants the commission to conduct a transparent investigation into his comments, and that what he said “was directed at the police, in order for them to tighten the law.”
“Even today I am asking those in the media to police my speech in Pongolo, the whole speech, and not pick and choose what they publish in order for people to know what I said, where my words come from,” he says.
14:07 Not the spark, that started the fire
Speaking to thousands of people gathered at Moses Mabhida Stadium now, Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini denies he sparked weeks of xenophobic violence in South Africa.
He says, “Coming to why I called this Imbizo, what is important, that I need to highlight is that this Imbizo is not that the Zulu King sparked what happened.”
“It is for me to let people know that we should stop what is happening,” he explains. “It has made me happy that the South African government agrees with me that there is a Third Force that we need to be dealing with, or fighting.”
14:07 War of peace
“The war that I am waging is for us to protect every foreigner in this country, regardless of which country they come from,” says King Goodwill Zwelithini.
14:07 Let peace prevail, says King Goodwill Zwelithini
The head of the Zulu nation says that the his people are peaceful and he has called on them to protect foreigners in KwaZulu-Natal.
Zwelithini says, “People should protect people wherever they are, regardless of whichever town or city they are in.”
He has asked the thousands gathered in Durban to protect foreigners across the province.
He adds, “Breaking the law is unacceptable.”
This comes in light of weeks of violence, targetting foreign nationals in the area.
“We are a nation that loves peace and even though there have been poking at us, we have to keep peace, because we know what war means.”
“Let peace prevail,” he says to his subjects. The crowd comrpises thousands of Zulu people, some holding spears and carrying weapons, as per traditional dres
14:08
The King’s speech concludes
After he concludins a speech calling for peace and calm in KwaZulu-Natal, the Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini is honoured in song and dance.