South African News

Zulu King whisked away after chaos breaks out during KwaZulu-Natal State of the Province Address

Sihle Mavuso|Published

EFF members being removed by the police earlier today. Picture: Sihle Mavuso/IOL

THE VIP Protection Unit tasked with protecting Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini had to whisk him out of the City Oval stadium in Pietermaritzburg earlier on Friday when chaos broke out during the State of the Province Address.

The trouble started at about 10.30am, shortly after Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube took the podium – inside a marquee erected for the sitting of the provincial legislature – and started speaking.

Rising on a point of order, MPL and leader of the EFF in the province, Mongezi Thwala, criticised the ANC-led provincial government for technical problems with the sound system at the venue.

Thwala said this was not a new problem as there had been a faulty sound system at the king’s coronation at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban in October last year.

EFF members of the legislature, unlike their counterparts from other opposition parties, had earlier entered the marquee marching and singing struggle songs.

Thwala then told the Speaker of the legislature, Nontembeko Boyce, they would not allow Dube-Ncube to address the sitting because she was a “liar”.

He said the premier had “peddled a lie” during last week’s debate on the State of the Nation Address in Cape Town in the National Assembly, when she had told that House all the victims of the April floods in Durban were fully resettled, and damaged infrastructure was being repaired.

Thwala said because she was “a liar” they could not be addressed by her. He said MEC Siboniso Duma (ANC) should deliver the address.

“We won’t be addressed by this one, never, it’s us or her,” Thwala declaimed, pointing angrily at Dube-Ncube.

Thwala was joined by EFF MPL Nkululeko Ngubane, who also insisted Dube-Ncube should vacate the platform.

During the heated exchanges, the VIP Protection Unit moved to shield and protect the king.

The unit’s head was seen whispering to the king, apparently telling him there was a security risk and he needed to leave the event.

Minutes later, as things became more heated, the unit escorted him out of the venue. The king waved to the guests who were seated behind him as he exited..

After his departure, the exchanges between Boyce and EFF members continued until she called security forces to remove them from the sitting.

At one point, KZN MEC for Health Nomagugu Simelane (ANC) rose to plead with Boyce to enforce the rules of the House.

Boyce called on the Serjeant-at-Arms to ask Thwala and Ngubane to leave, but they refused.

She then called for their removal and security force members in plain clothes walked in and surrounded the EFF members amid shouting and finger-pointing.

They were followed by armed SAPS officers, who entered and removed the EFF members while the House was temporarily suspended,

Dube-Ncube then resumed her address, but without the king in the audience.

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