CAPE TOWN: Residents, political parties and traditional leaders in South Africa’s Eastern Cape have staged protests following the alleged coronation of a Nigerian national, Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, as a king.
The demonstrations erupted on Monday after videos and photographs circulated on social media showing Eziko being crowned Igwe Ndigbo during a ceremony reportedly held in KuGompo City, formerly known as East London.
According to a report by Independent Online, the development sparked outrage among residents who questioned the legality and legitimacy of the coronation.
Protesters, including members of ActionSA, the Patriotic Alliance, and civic group March and March Movement, marched through parts of the province carrying placards and waving South African flags while condemning the development.
Many of the demonstrators argued that South Africa’s constitutional framework does not permit a foreign national to assume a traditional kingship role within the country.
Eastern Cape leader of ActionSA, Athol Trollip, criticised the alleged coronation, stating that there is no legal basis for a foreigner to declare himself a king in the province.
“There’s no constitutional provision for any foreigner, legal or illegal, to coronate themselves in the Eastern Cape and call for the establishment of a homeland, Trollip was quoted as saying.
Similarly, spokesperson for the Patriotic Alliance, Steve Motale, condemned the development, noting that even the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa had distanced itself from the controversial ceremony.
Traditional leaders in the country also rejected the claim of kingship. The president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, Kgosi Mathupa Mokoena, emphasised that traditional leadership in South Africa follows clearly defined cultural and legal processes.
If they have kingship in their family, let them be recognised in their own country, not here in South Africa,” Mokoena said.
Meanwhile, the AbaThembu Royal House denied any involvement in the alleged coronation. Reports circulating online had suggested that its monarch, King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, endorsed the Nigerian national.
However, the royal household dismissed the claim, describing it as false.
Royal ambassador Matthew Mpahlwa said the viral reports linking the monarch to the ceremony were misleading and inaccurate.
Earlier, the African Transformation Movement called for a formal investigation into the incident, warning that the development could undermine traditional leadership structures and weaken respect for the rule of law.
The controversy has continued to generate debate across South Africa, with many residents’ demanding clarity from authorities regarding the circumstances surrounding the alleged coronation and whether any laws were violated.
