KING EXPECTED TO APOLOGISE

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Imbizo called after pressure in Parliament

King Goodwill Zwelithini denies saying foreigners should be attacked. Photo by Jabulani Langa

PRESSURE from government – and President Jacob Zuma feeling the heat in Parliament – is the reason King Goodwill Zwelithini called a special imbizo today.

The king is expected to withdraw his call to foreigners to “pack and go home”.

Zuma is also expected to address the imbizo which will be held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Sources claim the imbizo was called by the king after pressure from government as attacks on foreigners continued and spread to Gauteng.

Sources also claimed that Zuma allegedly contacted the king through the provincial government to call for an imbizo after opposition parties in Parliament, especially EFF leader Julius Malema, criticised the president on Thursday for not asking the king to tell locals to stop the violence.

News of the gathering started spreading on Friday while government was still unsure of the venue.

It was initially said the imbizo would be held at Curries Fountain but was later moved to the stadium.

Sources said the king would withdraw his statement, which is believed to have incited locals to attack foreigners for refusing to heed the Zulu monarch’s call to “pack and go to their homes”.

But the king told Daily Sun he never said that foreigners should be attacked.

He said he was only talking about illegal foreigners.

One inkosi who asked not to be named said the king’s continuous denial that his speech incited violence was not helping.

“The fact that people interpreted his speech to mean they must chase foreigners out of the country is cause for concern. The king must own up because the language and the tone he used was indeed inciting hatred.

“Saying foreigners are messing up towns by hanging out rags was labelling them already,” said the inkosi.

The SunTeam witnessed a group attacking foreigners at Umlazi, shouting “Bayede!” (Hail the king).

When interviewed, the attackers told the SunTeam: “Abahambe, usukhulumile umlomo ongathethi manga” (Foreigners must go, the king has spoken).