Arnold Ndamase (the King's Private Secretary), Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, King Misuzulu and his queen Nomzamo Myeni after a recent meeting.
Image: Supplied
AmaZulu king Misuzulu kaZwelithini has dismissed the call for open borders on the African continent.
In his address during a meeting with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday to discuss illegal immigration, the king dismissed the notion of open borders and proposed a nine point-plan as a solution to the illegal immigration on the continent, particularly in the countries under Southern African Development Community.
Before getting into their discussion, the king first defended South African sovereignty and government mass deportation and repatriation of undocumented foreign nationals, dismissing the notion of xenophobia.
“Your Excellency, as I arrived here in Zimbabwe, I presented my passport to the immigration authorities, I declared my nationality, I declared the purpose of my visit and I informed the authorities where I would be residing during my stay. Likewise, every sovereign nation has the right to know who enters its territory, for what purpose they enter, how long they intend to remain, and whether they comply with that nation's laws. This is not an African principle but a universal principle of international law,” said the king.
He argued that no state should ever be expected to apologise for exercising rights that every sovereign nation in the world already exercises and to abandon the enforcement of its immigration laws out of fear of being labelled xenophobic. The king said it was unfortunate that the conversation across the continent has increasingly become polarised.
“On one side, there are those who wrongly conclude that every concern about illegal immigration is an expression of xenophobia. On the other side, there are those who unfairly attribute every challenge facing their communities to foreign nationals. Neither position serves Africa", argues the king.
Furthermore, the king warned African countries not to abuse shared historical ancestry to justify illegal immigration.
“Our shared ancestry should inspire mutual respect. It should never be used to justify disregarding the immigration laws of sovereign nations. Being family does not exempt us from respecting one another's homes. It is therefore inaccurate to portray South Africans as a people who hate Africans,” said the king.
In his nine point-plan, the king called for lawful labour migration agreements that allow workers to move where genuine economic opportunities exist under regulated conditions. He also called for joint investment in economic development so that fewer Africans are compelled to leave their countries because of poverty or unemployment.
The call for a borderless Africa is being vigorously pushed by the EFF which advocates for pan-Africanism.