Igbo King coronation: Tension as South Africans demand deportation of Nigerians

Protesters led by ActionSA and local traditional leaders have stormed the streets of East London to demand the deportation of Nigerians involved in the controversial coronation of an “Igbo King,” an act they condemned as a direct violation of South African sovereignty

Tensions reached a boiling point in the Eastern Cape on Monday, March 30, 2026, as scores of residents and members of the political party ActionSA flooded the streets of East London, also known as KuGompo City. The demonstrators were protesting the recent coronation of Chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko as the “Igwe Ndigbo Na East London,” a move they described as a blatant affront to the sovereignty and traditional leadership of the province. Led by local traditional authorities and political activists, the protesters demanded the immediate deportation of any foreign nationals linked to the event, specifically targeting those they alleged are in the country illegally. “This is a sovereign nation. It is our nation, we love it, and we are protected by a constitution,” one protester told SABC News, adding that there is no legal provision for a foreign national to be coronated as a king on South African soil.

The backlash has been compounded by allegations that the organizers of the coronation intend to establish a “homeland” and a parallel authority structure within the Xhosa-led territory. The AbaThembu Royal Council and the Amathole House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders have both formally rejected the title, characterizing the ceremony as an “act of terror” against indigenous cultural systems. ActionSA representatives echoed these sentiments during the march, warning that the party would not tolerate the installation of foreign monarchs. “The utterances were that they are establishing a kingship in the Eastern Cape and a homeland,” a demonstrator noted, asserting that such claims represent a direct threat to the authority of local monarchs like King Vululwandle Sandile of the amaRhadebe Kingdom.

In response to the mounting hostility, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo South Africa (ONSA), issued a clarifying statement maintaining that the event held on March 14 was merely the inauguration of a community leader intended to foster unity, not a claim to sovereign territory. ONSA argued that the “king” narrative was being “misconstrued intentionally” by political actors to incite xenophobic sentiment. However, the clarification has done little to appease local leaders or the African Transformation Movement (ATM), which has joined calls for Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to investigate the immigration status of everyone involved. As security personnel remain on high alert in East London, traditional leaders have vowed to protect their heritage, insisting that the Eastern Cape remains exclusively a “descendant of King Phalo.”

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