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 Durban — A spokesperson for the Royal Zulu household said yesterday that the monarch would not be drawn to comment on a complaint of hate speech laid against King Goodwill Zwelithini by a Nigerian human rights organisation with the International

Criminal Court (ICC).

“We will only respond once we have received a call from the International Criminal Court. They (the organisation) have every right to complain and they took it upon themselves to lodge the complaint. There is nothing we can do about it,” said spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu.

He did, however, say that he believes that Nigerians were aggrieved.

“We cannot take it for granted that they have run to the media and told them they have complained. Remember that The Hague still has to investigate the veracity of their complaint and that could take years. So it’s too soon for us to comment on the matter,” said Zulu.

On Wednesday, News24 reported that a Nigerian human rights organisation, Social-Economic Rights and Accountability, asked ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate  the alleged complicity or negligence by South African’s police in preventing the xenophobic attacks that it said resulted from King Goodwill Zwelithini’s comment.

Zwelithini last month told a gathering in Pongola, northern KZN that “foreigners should pack their bags and go home”.

Following his remarks, a spate of xenophobic attacks surfaced in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. It is reported that at least seven people have been killed and thousands have been displaced.

Meanwhile, political analyst Protas Madlala said he was very disappointed in the Nigerian organisation and government.
He also admitted that he had never heard of a monarch being hauled before the International Criminal Court.

“But this does not look good for Nigeria. Why did they have to go all the way to The Hague instead of raising the matter with the African Union (AU)? We have always condemned these colonial powers and now when it suits them, they run to them,” said Madlala.
He believed that Nigerians were a nation that was “jealous of South Africa and full of arrogance”.

“They obviously view us as competition. They have their own problems and yet they have time to run to The Hague about South African problems. I believe this will create further tensions between Nigerians and people who have strong support for the king here in KwaZulu-Natal.”

He said this would also create tensions between Nigerians living in South Africa and South Africans.

“What they have done shows a vote of no confidence in the AU and Dr Nkosazana-Zuma. There hasn’t been an onslaught on Nigerians during the xenophobic attacks. For me they have undermined the AU,” said Madlala.

He said even if Zwelithini was to get arrested for his comments, it would not address the root cause of xenophobia.

“It won’t erase the tensions that would have been created between South Africa and Nigeria, nor would it have dealt with problems facing South Africa. There are hundreds of countries dealing with the same issues and they have focused on controlling what is happening on their borders,” said Madlala.

He questioned why Nigerian organisations hadn’t taken Synagogue Church of all Nation cleric TB Joshua to task.

“They have so many problems that they are dealing with. Why haven’t they taken TB Joshua to the ICC to explain why so many South Africans died in the building collapse in Nigeria?” asked Madlala.

Meanwhile, Johannesburg — More than 200 people were arrested during a raid at the Thembelihle informal settlement near Lenasia, south of Johannesburg yesterday morning.

“The final update on the number of arrests is 212,” Lieutenant Kay Makhubela said.

He said the raid, which was conducted by soldiers, police officers, metro police and home affairs officials began in the early hours of the morning and had concluded around 11:00. Of the total number, 198 were allegedly illegal immigrants.

The others faced numerous charges, including possession of drugs, or were initially wanted for robberies, hijackings or murders.
Makhubela said they would appear in court soon.

He said earlier there were no reports of xenophobia in the settlement. The raid was conducted because police received information about criminal activities in the area.

Mariam Ntswane, 25, who has lived in Thembelihle for seven years, said she felt sorry for foreign nationals in the township.

“I feel terrible for foreigners because they came for work, and the police take them away. What are they going to do?”

She said she did not feel safe because there was often no electricity. “When it’s dark these guys just come into our houses and take stuff.”

However, Awelani Khewrana, 23, who is unemployed, said foreigners should return to their home countries.

“There are no jobs in South Africa because only foreigners get jobs.

“They must pay tax. Maybe if they go back we can get jobs and be free,” he said.

In a related issue, President Jacob Zuma has had a telephonic discussion with outgoing Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan after the two countries’ relationship took strain during xenophobic violence in South Africa. This followed a decision by Nigeria to recall diplomats in the wake of xenophobic attacks in South Africa in the past few weeks.

“The two presidents reaffirmed the warm and cordial relations between South Africa and Nigeria and pledged that the two countries will continue to work together for the good of their peoples and the continent as a whole,” presidency spokesperson Mac Maharaj said yesterday.

“President Jonathan expressed his support for the efforts of South Africa to arrest the attacks on foreign nationals and to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, including foreign nationals and those from the African continent, in particular who bore the brunt of the attacks earlier this month.”

Maharaj said Zuma would attend the inauguration of Nigerian’s president-elect General Muhammadu Buhari next month. — AFP