Violence erupted in South Africa’s Eastern Cape on Monday as protests against an alleged Igbo traditional leader coronation spiralled into chaos, leaving several vehicles and properties destroyed.
The unrest, reported in areas including KuGompo City, was linked to claims that a Nigerian national, Solomon Eziko, had been crowned as a traditional leader of the Igbo community. Protesters described the move as a breach of South Africa’s constitutional and cultural systems.
Members of ActionSA were said to have organised the demonstration, insisting that only recognised processes should determine traditional leadership.
According to SABC News, Athol Trollip, the party’s Eastern Cape chairman, said the group supports established traditional authorities and due legal procedures.
The protest quickly turned violent. Reports from Newzroom Africa and Eyewitness News indicated that demonstrators torched vehicles and buildings allegedly belonging to foreign nationals. Looting was also reported, with a local butchery ransacked.
Videos circulating online showed protesters smashing vehicle windscreens and damaging property, raising concerns over escalating xenophobic tensions.
Amilcar Baleni, a South African resident, criticised the destruction, questioning the justification for targeting citizens’ livelihoods over what he described as misinformation.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) weighed in, stating that only the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has the authority to recognise traditional rulers under the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019.
The group described any self-declared kingship outside legal frameworks as both illegal and offensive, particularly when involving foreign nationals. It called for those responsible for the unrest to be arrested and held accountable.
However, the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa dismissed claims that any coronation took place.
In a statement, the mission clarified that the gathering in East London was merely a cultural festival, not a political or traditional installation of a monarch.
It explained that Igbo cultural events—such as the New Yam Festival and traditional title ceremonies—are often symbolic and do not confer political authority.
The commission stressed that the event had no territorial or governance implications within South Africa and expressed regret over any misunderstanding caused.
Authorities have yet to confirm arrests as tensions remain high, with calls for calm and restraint from both Nigerian and South African stakeholders.
