STOP THE ‘VILE’ KILLINGS…Zulu King tells of  xenophobia ‘shame’ Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini (top). An armed gang member fatally stabs Emmanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national, in Alexandra township near Johannesburg recently
Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini (top). An armed gang member fatally stabs Emmanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national, in Alexandra township near Johannesburg recently

Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini (top). An armed gang member fatally stabs Emmanuel Sithole, a Mozambican national, in Alexandra township near Johannesburg recently

ZULU King Goodwill Zwelithini yesterday denied whipping up xenophobic hatred in South Africa after he was accused of triggering violence that has left at least seven people dead and forced thousands from their homes.

The influential monarch described recent anti-immigrant attacks as “vile”, defending himself against claims that previous comments he made about foreigners sparked the unrest.

Zwelithini had made an angry speech last month blaming immigrants for rising crime and saying they must leave the country, in an outburst seen as inciting the spate of attacks on Zimbabweans, Somalians, Nigerians, Mozambicans, Malawians and other foreigners.

Addressing an “imbizo”, a tribal gathering of several thousand Zulus in Durban, a coastal city in the Zulu heartland, the king insisted he had been misrepresented.

“My speech… was directed at the police, calling for stricter law enforcement, but that was never reported,” he said.

“The public was instead given another side of my speech, which has been twisted and misrepresented. This violence directed at our brothers and sisters is shameful.”

At least seven people have been killed in the latest wave of anti-immigrant violence to hit South Africa, which began almost three weeks ago.

TV stations across the country have broadcast scenes of angry mobs armed with machetes looting immigrant-owned shops, in the worst xenophobic violence since at least 67 people were killed in 2008.

Police said on Monday they had arrested three people linked to the killing on Saturday of Mozambican man, Emmanuel Sithole. Disturbing pictures of men beating and stabbing Sithole in broad daylight were published in the Sunday Times, fuelling calls for the police to do more to protect immigrants.

“We need to make sure no more foreigners are attacked. We must stop these vile acts,” Zwelithini told thousands of supporters at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, during a speech the popular leader hoped would restore calm among his followers.

Numbering 12 million people, the Zulus are the largest ethnic group in South Africa whose population stands at around 50 million people. Zwelithini, their traditional leader, retains great influence over his subjects.

Wearing a suit and tie rather than his royal animal-skin dress, he told the audience that he had never called on his people to attack foreigners.

“Had I said that, this country would be in ashes,” he said to loud cheers.

Some hostile sections of the crowd were singing songs calling for immigrants to leave and booed Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who said foreigners had a right to live in South Africa.

“The government can’t allow these people to come here and take all the jobs,” unemployed Manga Zulu, 38, told Reuters from inside the stadium.

Zwelithini has been accused of lighting the touch paper on the latest wave of anti-immigrant unrest during a speech he made on March 20 in Pongola in northern KwaZulu Natal. “Let us pop our head lice. We must remove ticks and place them outside in the sun. We ask foreign nationals to pack their belongings and be sent back,” Zwelithini told a cheering crowd.

Many Africans said on social media that describing immigrants as “lice” echoed calls during the 1994 Rwandan genocide for Tutsis to be exterminated like “cockroaches”.

But Zwelithini’s comments resonated with many impoverished South Africans who say foreigners have taken advantage of lax immigration rules to flood the country and “steal” jobs.

Zwelithini, a key ally of President Jacob Zuma, who has condemned the attacks but not criticised Zwelithini, told supporters in Durban his comments were taken out of context.

“The country has only been shown a portion of my speech, which has been selective,” he said.

According to census data, South Africa has an estimated 1.7 million foreigners living within its borders, though many claim the figure to be much higher.

African governments, including Zimbabwe and Malawi, are repatriating hundreds of their citizens from South Africa due to fears of further xenophobic attacks.

There are also fears of reprisals against South Africans working in other countries. Irish mining firm Kenmare Resources and Sasol both pulled out South African workers from Mozambique in recent days.

President Zuma moved to counter accusations of ignoring the attacks, which have provoked protests from African countries whose citizens have been targeted.

“Millions of South Africans condemn these atrocious killings and abhor xenophobia and all related intolerances,” he said in a statement released on Monday.

“Together we must work harder to root out violence and hatred in our society.” – AFP/Reuters.

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