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King of AmaMpondo aseMnyandeni Ndamase Ndamase is due to lead a regional diplomatic drive to tackle growing tensions over migration, with Zimbabwe becoming the first stop in an effort by South African monarchs to engage SADC heads of state and fellow royals on the issue.Ndamase, the acting chair of the Kings Forum of South Africa, has written to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa requesting an urgent audience to discuss xenophobia, migration and the role of minority communities in Southern Africa, saying the issue requires a united regional response rather than unilateral action.In the July 3 letter from the Nyandeni Royal Palace in Libode, seen by the Daily Dispatch, Ndamase said SA’s traditional leaders viewed migration and xenophobia with “heartfelt and urgent” concern and believed the issue should be addressed in a manner that preserved relations between neighbouring countries, governments and traditional leaders.The king said he intended engaging other SADC heads of state and royal houses during a regional tour aimed at finding African solutions to growing tensions over migration.This comes amid heightened tensions in SA, with groupings such as March and March leading protests, demanding that illegal foreign nationals leave the country.The biggest march, which was billed as a “shutdown”, was held on June 30 just a few days after the Kings Forum of South Africa met President Cyril Ramaphosa.The lead-up to the marches had heightened fears among foreign nationals, leading to many being displaced from their communities in provinces like KwaZulu-Natal.At least seven countries, including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya have since repatriated thousands of their citizens, while others, found to be in the country without proper documentation, have been deported. The developments have also seen growing attitudes against the country, with a number of Africans labelling SA xenophobic. The monarchs met Ramaphosa on June 27 during a gathering of kings and queens, where migration was identified as an issue requiring collective management “through the spirit of ubuntu and as custodians of custom”.The following day, Ramaphosa also met AmaZulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.Following those engagements, Ndamase said there was an “absolute urgency” to engage regional leaders.Central to his proposal is that Zimbabwe host a SADC Regional Minority Summit — Zimbabwe 2026, which would revisit the regional bloc’s founding vision of self-determination and collective economic liberation.According to the letter, the summit would seek to transform minority communities “from a source of tension into a strategic asset for investment and development”.Ndamase proposed Victoria Falls as the venue, describing it as both symbolic and strategic because it linked Southern, Central and Eastern Africa.He also praised Mnangagwa’s “pan-Africanist credentials and groundbreaking resource beneficiation agenda”, saying Zimbabwe was well placed to lead the regional dialogue.He said Zimbabwe’s leadership would be vital to advancing the African renaissance and building “a more stable and economically integrated Southern Africa”.Ndamase’s spokesperson, Nkosi Zwelicacile Ndamase, who accompanied the king during his meeting with Ramaphosa, said the Zimbabwean presidency had acknowledged receipt of the letter, though no response on the proposed meeting had yet been received.“We understand that it will not happen overnight,” he said.“As the kingdom, we have very strong relations with Zimbabwe and we have been involved in many engagements with them. “This initiative is not only about strengthening relations between Zimbabwe and AmaMpondo, but is an initiative of all kings, queens and other royals in SA.“We are going to extend and strengthen relations across the entire SADC region.“We are all Africans, and we are finding an African way to solve African problems.”He said the initiative was aimed at ensuring the migration debate did not damage relations between neighbouring countries or traditional communities whose ties predated modern borders.Zwelicacile said King Ndamase’s late mother was an eSwatini princess, saying the region’s royal families had long-standing historical ties that reinforced the need for dialogue.“We cannot allow things to divide us as Africa,” he said.Zimbabwe’s Christopher Mutsvangwa, who serves as a government senator as well ZANU-PF’s secretary for information and publicity, said in a media briefing on Monday that Mnangagwa was seeking engagement with SA’s traditional leaders amid fears of xenophobic attacks against Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals. “A couple of weeks ago, the president was consulting with one of the young men in SA who has very good connections with the traditional rulers.“This is where there is a groundswell of weaponised poverty being used against each other, to see where the traditional leadership in those regions can come in and help us deal with that situation unfolding on the ground,” Mutsvangwa said.“SA is still an independent country. It has got its own governance. It is a national jurisdiction.“We still believe there is a capability by the South African government to deal with the situation. “We do not want to be seen as intrusive into the internal politics of SA.”International relations and co-operation (Dirco) spokesperson Chrispin Phiri has confirmed knowledge of the planned trip to Zimbabwe by the monarchs.“[Dirco] wishes to confirm that it is duly apprised of the correspondence received from, and the expressed intention of, the traditional leadership to undertake a visit to the Republic of Zimbabwe.“In keeping with the established protocols governing such engagements, the department affirms that it will engage the traditional leadership through the appropriate channels and in a manner consistent with the governments engagements with stakeholders,” Phiri said.He declined to go into further details about the trip.Click here to join Sowetan’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered to you on the moveDaily Dispatch
