TENSION erupted in KuGompo, Eastern Cape, South Africa, on Monday as protests over alleged coronation of an Igbo traditional leader escalated into violence, property destruction, and looting.
Media reports indicate that the protest was organised by one of South Africa’s political parties called ActionSA alongside traditional leaders and residents against claims that a Nigerian man, Solomon Eziko, had been crowned as a traditional leader of the Igbo community in the province.
They claimed that the crowning violated South Africa’s constitutional and traditional governance systems.
According to SABC News, ActionSA’s Eastern Cape chairman, Athol Trollip, said the party stood firmly with recognised traditional authorities, insisting that due process must be followed in matters of cultural and traditional governance.
The protesters reportedly destroyed vehicles and vandalised buildings believed to be owned by foreign nationals, as they marched through affected areas demanding urgent government intervention and warned that inaction could trigger wider unrest.
Some participants issued threats of armed resistance, while others called for the deportation of Nigerians allegedly linked to the incident.
Videos circulating online showed protesters smashing vehicle windscreens and damaging property, prompting criticism from residents who questioned the justification for the destruction.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) emphasised that only South Africa’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), through a process involving presidential approval under the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019, has the authority to recognise kings or queens. The party described any self-declared coronation, particularly by a foreign national as both unlawful and provocative, while also calling for those responsible for the violence to be held accountable.
“It is not to be taken lightly, nor should it be declared by individuals without any legal authority. Coronation of a foreign king in the Eastern Cape, this irresponsible act has led to a rightful and justified outcry by the people of KuGompo, the Eastern Cape, and South Africa at large,” the group said.
However, Nigeria’s High Commission in South Africa clarified that no Igbo traditional ruler was crowned, noting that the gathering in East London was merely a cultural event intended to celebrate Igbo heritage, not to establish political or territorial authority.
The commission acknowledged that cultural practices such as festivals, masquerade displays, and chieftaincy titles could be misunderstood outside Nigeria, stressing that the event carried no political agenda and did not challenge South Africa’s sovereignty or traditional institutions.
While expressing regret over the tensions caused, the Nigerian mission called for calm and mutual understanding, highlighting the longstanding diplomatic ties between both countries.
The ICIR reports that this is the second time Igbo kingship coronation causing crises outside Nigeria in recent times.
The ICIR reported that the “Nigerians must go” protest in Ghana was triggered by the installation of a Nigerian traditional leader, Eze Chukwudi Ihenetu, as the “Eze Ndi Igbo Ghana” King of the Igbo People in Julu last year.
Ghanaian youth groups and cultural advocates opposed the installation, saying that the presence of a foreign monarch undermined Ghana’s sovereignty and traditional chieftaincy institutions.
The title ‘Eze Ndi Igbo’ is widely recognised within Igbo diaspora communities as a symbolic representation of cultural leadership.
The protesters urged the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to intervene and clarify whether Ghanaian law allowed foreigners to assume royal titles within the country.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.