Eastern Cape violence: Protests erupt over Nigerian ‘Igbo King’ coronation
A ceremony was recently held to install Chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko as the king of the Igbo people.
Chaos has erupted in KuGompo, formerly East London as a protest against the alleged coronation of a Nigerian Igbo king turned violent.
A ceremony was recently held to install Chief Solomon Ogbonna Eziko as the king of the Igbo people in the Eastern Cape city.
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Damage by protesters
Police say protesters torched and damaged 10vehicles on Monday afternoon.
They also partially torched a building in the North End earlier.
Officers fired shots to disperse the crowd.
Organiser and leader of the March and March movement Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma took to her social media page to give clarity on the events that took place, before the violence broke out.
She says they handed over a petition near the East London City Hall.
She claims the protest took a turn after two marchers were allegedly stabbed and run over by a car.
The injured protesters have been rushed to hospital.
Emergency services, including the fire department, remain on the scene, along with the Public Order Policing Unit.
Recent demonstrations in Durban
Last week, March and March members joined by different political parties held a demonstration in Durban and called on the government to reserve the township economy for South African citizens.
The movement is demanding urgent legislative changes to prevent undocumented foreign nationals from operating businesses in township economies.
Hundreds of protesters, also from various political parties and civil organisations, marched from King Dinuzulu Park, past City Hall, before gathering at Hoy Park, where the memorandum was handed over to SAPS and government officials.
Stun grenades fired
While marching on Wednesday afternoon, a group of people chased a person suspected by the crowd to be a foreign national, prompting officers to step in and escort him to safety.
During the confrontation, some members of the crowd began throwing stones and other objects at police.
Officers responded by deploying stun grenades to disperse the crowd, which had begun moving towards the ANC provincial headquarters.
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