Ntuli: ‘We will not allow KZN to burn again’

Premier Thami Ntuli has vowed that Kwazulu Natal will not relive the devastation of the July 2021 unrest, warning that while residents have the constitutional right to protest over undocumented migration, any attempt to incite violence, looting or xenophobic attacks will be met with the full force of the law.

Addressing an urgent media briefing on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s planned marches, Ntuli rejected claims that Kwazulu Natal is becoming a hotspot of xenophobia, insisting the province’s campaign against undocumented migration is rooted in law enforcement rather than hostility towards foreign nationals.

“We reject in the strongest terms the narrative that Kwazulu Natal is in the grip of xenophobia or Afrophobia. This is not who we are, and it is not who we will allow ourselves to be portrayed as,” said Ntuli.

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The Premier said the provincial government recognised communities’ frustrations over undocumented migration, but stressed that immigration laws must be enforced through lawful and orderly processes.

“Whatever our concerns about undocumented migration, however legitimate the frustrations beneath them, we will not allow this province to be set alight a second time – whether by criminality or by xenophobia. Our people have already paid that price. We owe them better.”

Ntuli reminded residents of the enormous economic and social cost of the July 2021 unrest, saying the province was still recovering from billions of rands in losses, widespread business closures and tens of thousands of jobs placed at risk.

“That is the price chaos extracted from this province. Not from the instigators who vanished into the crowd, but from ordinary workers, traders, mothers and fathers who lost their shops, their jobs and their dignity. We rebuilt once. We will defend what we rebuilt.”

The Premier emphasised that the province’s response to undocumented migration did not begin this week, but forms part of the Engangeni Ngesango Iyafohla programme launched in 2024 to coordinate government departments, police, traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and civil society.

He said the programme was designed to ensure undocumented migration is tackled through verification, coordinated law enforcement and legal processes rather than vigilantism.

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Ntuli also revealed that King Misuzulu kaZwelithini had instructed traditional leaders that there should be no violence or destruction of property during Monday’s demonstrations, a message reinforced by izinduna throughout the province.

He welcomed commitments from protest organisers that the marches would remain peaceful but warned authorities remained alert to those seeking to exploit the demonstrations.

“We know there are those who would seize tomorrow as an opportunity not to march, but to plunge our province back into the conflict we lived through in 2021. We are working hand in glove with the South African Police Service to ensure there is no room for opportunism, no gap for criminality to exploit and no chance for anyone to undo the painstaking work this province has done to rise from the ashes of that anarchy.”

Ntuli also appealed to political parties not to inflame tensions.

“This is not a moment for point-scoring. KwaZulu-Natal is bigger than any political party. Tomorrow, it must be bigger than politics.”

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He concluded by urging residents to reject violence and xenophobia while allowing authorities to address undocumented migration through constitutional and legal processes.

“Let us reject lawlessness. Let us reject xenophobia. Let us reject violence. Let us choose constructive engagement, responsible citizenship and collaborative solutions that defend South Africa’s interests without betraying the constitutional values upon which our democracy stands.”