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Durban — King Goodwill Zwelithini has lambasted the media for “choosing to deliberately distort what was an innocent outcry against crime and destruction of property”, he said in a statement yesterday.
The Zulu king has been criticised recently for comments he allegedly made during a moral regeneration event in Pongola, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
It was reported that the king allegedly told a gathering that “foreigners must pack their bags and go home”.
“I’ve already stated my concerns about crime in South Africa, and I’m on record as having said there is no justification for murder, looting and attacks that we’ve seen being perpetrated against foreigners,” he said. “I’m thus reiterating what I’ve always said. All those who commit such crimes against anyone, whether foreign or local, should face the full might of the law.”
He also denounced three evils experienced by the province in the recent weeks.
“These three evils are greed, xenophobia and tribalism. These three evils are the motivating force behind the vitriol articles, destruction of property and loss of human lives that some in print media have seen it proper to attribute as direct consequences of my address at the Pongolo event some weeks ago.
“It’s disappointing that despite numerous explanations, even by those who were present at the Pongolo event, including the Minister of Police Nkosinathi Nhleko and [KwaZulu-Natal] Safety MEC Willies Mchunu, some sections of the media elected to deliberately distort what was an innocent outcry against crime and destruction of property.
“Unfortunately without better explanation on why they did what they did, we’re forced to conclude that the aim wasn’t to educate readers or citizens, rather [it] was to sell newspapers. Such greed unfortunately has created a dangerous situation and inconvenienced a number of people and communities,” said Zwelithini.
He said the incident reminded him of the horrific genocide in Rwanda, 1994, “where the Rwandan media played a major part in supporting, or creating an atmosphere to sanction the terrible human suffering that ensued”.
A mere suggestion that people who were looting were doing that under the king’s instruction is disingenuous, the monarch said. “I’m on record as having instructed people to till the land to feed their families and to protect lives and property,” he continued.
“In fact during the now famous Pongola speech, I lamented against the crime perpetuated against foreign shops but alas, the media elected not to write about that, but chose to romanticise criminality which happened at Isipingo.”
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter