Economic Freedom Fighters Demand Arrests Following Violent Eastern Cape Protests Over Alleged Nigerian Royal Coronation

The EFF demands legal action after protests against a Nigerian king’s coronation in the Eastern Cape turned violent. Read the party’s stance on royal legality.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 7:56 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from IOL

Political Leadership Calls for Accountability After Eastern Cape Civil Unrest

The Economic Freedom Fighters have issued a stern directive to law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest the instigators of recent violence in KuGompo City. The unrest, which saw a faction of protesters set fire to ten vehicles and loot local businesses, was triggered by the controversial reported coronation of Solomon Ogbonna Eziko as a monarch for the Igbo nation within South African borders. EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo stated that those who led the destructive demonstrations must be held financially and legally liable for the damages incurred, arguing that political opportunism has turned a legislative debate into a public safety crisis.

Legislative Frameworks Governing Traditional Authority and Royal Recognition

Central to the current conflict is the role of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in legitimizing royal titles. According to the EFF, the recognition of any king or queen in South Africa is not a private matter but a rigorous legal process involving recommendations to the President under the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act of 2019. Thambo clarified that any individual declaring themselves a monarch outside of a formal Government Gazette publication is acting in violation of national law, describing the alleged self-proclamation by a foreign national as both offensive and legally void.

Criticism of Government Response and Administrative Delays

The EFF has directed sharp criticism toward both provincial and national government structures for failing to provide clear guidance on traditional protocols before the situation escalated. The party argues that a proactive administration should have timeously outlined the legal requirements for royal recognition to prevent the "justified outcry" of the KuGompo residents from devolving into chaos. By allowing a vacuum of information to persist, the EFF contends that the state inadvertently facilitated the environment where misinformation and subsequent violence could take root in the former East London region.