It was probably not the first time that KZN police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda encountered backward ethnic bigotry in the land of King Misuzulu.
His calm reaction to that uncultured protester—who suggested he was an outsider in his country—shows that he has dealt with citizens suffering from similar intellectual disabilities before.
Like most prejudices, such utterances are often made in jest, which explains the disgusting laughter echoing in the background of that video. Yet, what some dismiss as “jokes” are in fact dangerous seeds of division, and when left unchecked, they grow into normalised hatred.
This is cringeworthy behaviour that all KZN people should discourage. Not a single citizen can claim ignorance of at least one tribalist idiot in their circle—whether at home, in the community, or at work.
These are the types who make silly jokes about “abantu” and “izilwane”. Bring a non-Zulu acquaintance into their presence, and they quip that the person’s language is “ukukwitiza” simply because they cannot speak isiZulu.
Then there’s that phrase: “ukuba ngangingeMzulu, ngangoba yini.” It even finds expression on public platforms and popular radio stations. Those who use it claim it expresses pride in their Zuluness, but truth be told, it is nothing more than crude tribalism. Pride in one’s culture should never come at the expense of belittling others.
Similar forms of hatred were recently displayed outside Addington Primary School in the Durban CBD, where a group protested for the placement of local children who have not attended class this year.
These are children of flood victims displaced to the Point Road area. None of the schools around the CBD could accommodate them all, so they ended up at Addington Primary—the biggest and nearest. Their struggle was hijacked by a fascist movement known as March and March, led by a former radio personality and Jacob Zuma’s MK Party.
What began as a fight to secure school placements soon adopted an anti-migration tone, with the group blocking the entrance to interrogate pupils and parents about their nationality.
Police had to intervene. It was a similar type of chaos that led to Netshiunda becoming the target of verbal abuse. The incident revealed how quickly genuine community struggles can be twisted into platforms for xenophobia.
The big question is: where were the leaders of society? Where was the MEC of education, Sipho Hlomuka, who has a background in student politics and could have handled the matter with respect and maturity?
Where was the leadership of the parties that make up the government of provincial unity? This unfortunate incident is a clear example of what happens in a leadership vacuum.
The quality of leaders who have risen through the ranks across the political spectrum leaves much to be desired. Leadership is not only about holding office—it is about stepping forward when society is in crisis, and here, silence spoke louder than words. Hlomuka’s visit to the area yesterday was too little, too late.
Durban, like most urban areas in KZN, has a history of being conscious and accommodating toward fellow Africans, especially during the dark days of the Struggle.
Previous leaders understood the need to reach out to people from outside the province and even outside the country. This is one reason the University of Natal produced a long list of leaders from other provinces.
While studying in KZN, these leaders participated in liberation structures. It is no accident that Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi considers leaders such as Harry Gwala a mentor. But over time, the province has produced leaders who adopted Zulu nationalism as an election campaign strategy.
As progressive parties lose relevance and populist groupings gain momentum, the situation risks worsening. The people of KZN yearn for leadership that is inclusive, visionary, and courageous enough to confront tribalism head-on.
The use of discriminatory terms like “kwerekwere” must be discouraged, especially when uttered by influential leaders on public platforms.
But it starts with us. We should frown upon family and friends who make nasty jokes about “abantu” and “others”. We should expose and isolate those who use social media to advocate hatred as a form of rage-baiting.
This is not to suggest that discrimination against other ethnic groups does not exist in other provinces. But it is more pronounced and exacerbated in KZN, where historical divisions and political opportunism often fuel violence. We should not be afraid to call out this behaviour before it becomes normalised.
Sowetan
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