King Misuzulu calls for foreign nationals to 'return home' amid Durban school crisis

King Misuzulu kaZwelithini has weighed in on the growing controversy surrounding the admissions crisis at Addington Primary School in South Beach, Durban, where police earlier this week used tear gas to disperse rival groups protesting outside the school.

The King broke his silence during the 147th commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana in Nquthu, northern KwaZulu-Natal, on Thursday, held to honour Zulu warriors who defeated the British army on January 22, 1879.

Addressing the gathering, King Misuzulu linked the Addington Primary standoff to broader concerns about illegal migration and social tensions, including what he described as the growing number of South African women forming relationships with foreign nationals.

He said these dynamics had contributed to the confrontation involving lobby groups such as March and March and Operation Dudula, as well as parents of foreign nationals, following allegations that the school and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education had prioritised children of foreign nationals over South African pupils.

The King rejected the events that unfolded at Addington Primary, saying the situation required honest dialogue.

“What happened at Addington shows that we are being compromised by our sisters. But what can we do, because their children are our nephews and nieces?” he said, to applause from those in attendance.

“However, we must sit down and discuss this. Even if my nephew or niece is born of a foreign national, that foreign national must leave, while my nephew or niece should remain.”

King Misuzulu also encouraged Zulu men to form relationships across local ethnic groups rather than looking beyond South Africa’s borders.

“As the Zulu nation, we need to build relations and not fight. Go and find love among the Vendas here at home,” he said.

“Even in Zimbabwe, the land of Mzilikazi, they are Zulus. We must not distort history.”

Despite expressing frustration over illegal migration, the monarch urged communities not to take the law into their own hands, calling instead for restraint and engagement through traditional leadership.

“I trust that there is no war that you will start. We will speak to them and tell them to leave. There is nobody who does not have a home to return to,” he said.

King Misuzulu added that he would formally address the issue of illegal migration after the completion of the traditional rituals associated with the First Fruits Festival.

Tensions at Addington Primary were further inflamed by alleged disrespectful remarks attributed to some foreign nationals, which left local communities feeling aggrieved. The King noted that similar challenges had been faced by his late father, King Goodwill Zwelithini, and said he was now confronted with the same issue.

“I am pleased that we are meeting here in Isandlwana so we can see and discuss these matters,” he said.

“This challenge is not new; it is an old problem. I promise you, no one will touch KwaZulu. There will be no war here. We will speak to those who are here illegally and ask them to return home. Everyone has a home.”

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli also appealed for calm, condemning the confrontations witnessed outside Addington Primary School.

“In all the challenges we face as a nation, we must respect His Majesty at all times,” Ntuli said.

“When addressing these challenges, we should not see confrontations like those in Durban, where locals and foreign nationals clashed.”

Ntuli added that the provincial government had committed to working with law enforcement to address illegal immigration.

“We promise His Majesty that if there are people here illegally, the matter will be addressed through proper channels, including the police,” he said.

He described the events at Addington Primary as unfortunate and announced that his office would convene a roundtable discussion with relevant interest groups to assess the situation and outline government interventions.

While calm has since returned to the school, the March and March movement has vowed to continue pursuing the matter, saying it remains dissatisfied with explanations provided by the school and the Department of Education.— Additional reporting by Thami Magubane

SUNDAY TRIBUNE