Traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape are set to meet the Nigerian High Commissioner in a high-level intervention aimed at defusing tensions sparked by a controversial “coronation” in KuGompo City.
The meeting, scheduled for April 24 at the Mngqesha Great Palace near Qonce, follows weeks of unrest after a Nigerian national, Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, was reportedly presented as an “Igbo king” in the area — a move that drew a widespread backlash and triggered protest action.
Three marches were held in response, two of which turned violent and required police intervention, raising concerns about stability in parts of the city.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Muhammad Haruna Manta, is expected to attend the meeting and formally apologise to traditional leaders, alongside senior government representatives.
The delegation will include co-operative governance and traditional affairs deputy minister Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, Eastern Cape co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams and Nkosi Xhanti Sigcawu of the AmaRharhabe kingdom, as well as officials from law enforcement and national departments.
Williams’s spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said the engagement would take place through diplomatic channels and was intended to restore stability following what the government described as “unbecoming conduct”.
“The purpose of the engagement is to address the situation and ensure that such incidents do not occur again,” Oliphant said.
He said the meeting would also consider broader issues relating to foreign nationals in the province, including compliance with South African laws and immigration processes.
“The delegation will include representatives from the SA Police Service, home affairs, international relations and co-operation, and state security,” he said.
Burns-Ncamashe said the intervention was not only about accepting an apology, but also about reinforcing respect for SA’s sovereignty and traditional leadership structures.
“We are sending a very clear message — we are in SA, and all who live here must respect the constitution and the laws of the republic,” he said.
He said the reported coronation had caused particular offence given the historical and cultural significance of the AmaRharhabe kingdom.
“The recognition of royalty is anchored in two principal sectors — the land and the people,” Burns-Ncamashe said.
“With the history of the AmaRharhabe kingdom, known for its gallant fortitude in fighting nine frontier wars over a century, such an act on this land understandably provokes strong reactions.”
He said it was for this reason that the High Commissioner had agreed to meet traditional leaders and provincial authorities following earlier engagements.
The controversy has intensified underlying tensions in parts of KuGompo City, where concerns about crime and the conduct of some foreign nationals have been raised by residents in recent weeks.
Authorities have cautioned against generalisations and urged communities to address grievances through lawful and diplomatic channels, warning that violence and intimidation would not be tolerated.
Oliphant said part of the discussions would include mechanisms to ensure that foreign nationals complied with legal requirements, including immigration documentation.
“The purpose of the session is also to find mechanisms for those who are undocumented to regularise their status or return to their countries of origin,” he said.
He said law enforcement agencies would continue to act against criminal activity, regardless of nationality.
I am not a king and would not purport to be one
Meanwhile, Eziko has publicly distanced himself from claims that he was crowned as a king, saying the event had been misunderstood.
In a statement released on April 10, he said he had not been coronated and held no traditional authority.
“I wish to seize this opportunity to clear the air that I was never coronated as a king,” he said.
“I am not a king and would not purport to be one.”
He said the March 14 gathering had been an internal appointment as a senior elder within an Igbo association in the Eastern Cape.
“This appointment did not confer any authority on me whatsoever to be a king, leader of a clan or chiefdom,” he said.
Attempts to obtain comment from the Nigerian embassy were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
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