ATM Slams Installation of Nigerian King of East London, SA Agrees

• African Transformation Movement MP Vuyo Zungula condemned the installation of a so-called Nigerian King of East London, Eastern Cape
• Solomon Ogbonna Eziko was celebrated by the Nigerian community in East London as the king of the area
• Zungula rejected his installation and said the event was an insult to the country and its royal leadership institutions

Tebogo Mokwena, an experienced journalist at Briefly News, contributed to political and traditional leadership coverage in Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News for seven years.

EAST LONDON, EASTERN CAPE— The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has condemned an event in which the Nigerian community of East London in the Eastern Cape, an incident that the party described as a dangerous precedent.

ATM Member of Parliament, Vuyo Zungula, shared a statement from the party on 19 March 2026 on his @ZungulaVuyo X account. The party rejected the installation of Solomon Ogbonna Eziko under the title “Igwe Ndigbo Na East London”, an incident which took place on 14 March 2026. ATM said that the event represented a direct affront to the sovereignty of the Republic of South Africa, a blatant disregard for the country's legal framework, and a profound insult to the institution of traditional leadership.

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ATM refuses to recognise Nigerian king

The party pointed out that the installation of a king or chief is not a ceremonial act that can be conducted arbitrarily or imported from foreign tradition.

“The notion that any foreign national or group, regardless of how long they have resided in South Africa, can unilaterally establish a 'kingdom' or install a traditional authority structure on South African soil is both unlawful and unacceptable,” ATM said.

ATM also observed that traditional leadership is deeply rooted in the history, identity, and ancestral lineage of South African communities. The party called on Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane, the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosi Hlabisa, and the Eastern Cape Department of Traditional Affairs to investigate the incident.

Zungula was also deeply disturbed by the crowning.

“The so-called installation of the King of East London by Nigerian Igwe is an insult to our country and our Royal Leadership institutions. This further proves sinister plans by foreign nationals to take over, hence they take over businesses, jobs, royal leadership, and are even contesting elections in SA,” he remarked.

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Read the statement and Zungula’s tweet on X here:

X account PSAFLIVE posted a video of the celebration on its @PSAFLIVE X account.

View the video on X here:

South Africans furious

Netizens joined Zungula in condemning the incident.

2G asked:

“Why must he be the Igbo king in East London? What happens when there comes an Igbo king in Cape Town or Durban and eventually the rest of South Africa? Do people not see how dangerous this is?”

Ms M asked:

“What should the next steps be? This cannot be allowed. It’s unacceptable.”

Duma 3 said:

“What do kings say? I’m tired of these guys, especially Eastern Cape kings who just keep mute as long as they eat.”

Hoseng Ruu pointed out:

“I believe that, according to our constitution, this is illegal.”

Bhut’Nzima added:

“Introducing your kind in a region that has its own king is a solid disrespect and a disregard of what people stand for.”

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3 Briefly News articles about the ATM

• The ATM called for the expropriation of hijacked buildings for the public good in January 2025. Zungula wrote to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, and requested that the buildings be used to house SMMEs.
• The ATM approached the Public Protector and called for an investigation into suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. This was after KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi implicated him in corruption within the criminal justice system.
• The ATM announced a working partnership with the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in March 2026. MK Party leader Jacob Zuma met with the founder of ATM, Caesar Nongqunga, who pledged that his Twelve Apostles Church congregants would support Zuma.

Source: Briefly News