By Marcus Moloko
KuGompo City, formerly East London, has been thrust into the spotlight after the reported installation of Chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko as Igwe Ndigbo Na East London.
The ceremony, in which Eziko was presented under the Igbo title, has been condemned by ActionSA and traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape, who say it violated South Africa’s traditional leadership framework and local customary protocols.
ActionSA’s Eastern Cape chairman, Athol Trollip, speaking at a protest march on Monday about the coronation, declared the party’s solidarity with the traditional leadership of the Eastern Cape.
He said South Africa’s Constitution makes no provision to coronate foreign nationals within its borders.
“ActionSA’s policy on illegal immigration is very clear,” Trollip said.
“If you’re in this country illegally and you do anything illegal, you’re going to be sent back home. This is a sovereign nation, protected by our Constitution.”
Trollip expressed outrage at the coronation’s rhetoric, which suggested the establishment of a kingship and even a homeland for Nigerians in the province.
ActionSA said it was alarmed by reports that members of the Nigerian community had installed a traditional leader in the area, while Trollip said some Nigerians had claimed they would make KuGompo City an Igbo homeland.
“It’s the utterances that were made at the coronation. The utterances were that they are establishing a kingship in the Eastern Cape and the homelands.”
“We have a painful history of homelands in this province, the former Ciskei and Transkei, where people were moved in there after having their land expropriated. We are not going to tolerate the establishment of another homeland,” Trollip said.
On Monday, residents, traditional leaders, members of ActionSA, and the African Transformation Movement marched through KuGompo City. Their objective was to demand the dissolution of the self-styled kingship and a public apology from its organisers.
Protesters emphasised that the Eastern Cape is not a “colony to Nigeria” and reaffirmed their recognition of constitutionally and legally recognised traditional institutions, including the amaRharhabe kingship under King Jonguxolo Mvuselelo Sandile, whose jurisdiction includes the area.
Trollip said South Africa already has recognised kingships protected by the constitution.
Any attempt to introduce a foreign kingship, he said, undermined the legitimacy of these institutions and disrespected the people of the Eastern Cape.
The Nigerian High Commission later distanced itself from the event, saying it was a cultural celebration rather than a coronation of a monarch, and said there was no intention to establish a kingdom within South African borders.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo South Africa (ONSA) and the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA) also sought to de-escalate tensions, insisting the title was intended for community leadership and unity, not to establish a sovereign monarchy.
A statement was released by the amaRharhabe Royal Council, representing King Jonguxolo Vululwandle Sandile, whose jurisdiction includes KuGompo City. The council stated: “We have taken great exception to the disrespect and provocation of this coronation,” and demanded the Nigerian government to issue a strong statement against it.
The Eastern Cape House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders said the area falls under the amaRharhabe kingdom and described the installation as a violation of established customary protocols and an affront to recognised traditional leadership institutions.