South Africa Slams “Igwe Ndigbo” Coronation as “Act of Terror”

The AbaThembu Royal Council of South Africa could spark a diplomatic row by labelling the coronation of a self-styled “Nigerian king” in the Eastern Cape as an “act of terror“.

The council officially denied reports that King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo welcomed the move or granted any royalty to the Nigerian national involved.

This backlash follows videos circulating on social media showing a ceremony for a man titled the “Igwe Ndigbo Na East London.”

The traditional leadership in South Africa has reacted with fury, claiming the event undermines the sovereignty of their land.

SABC News reported that the Royal House plans to write a formal complaint to the Nigerian Consulate in South Africa.

They seek an immediate explanation for the ceremony which took place without the consent of the local custodians of culture.

Royal House Denies Ties to Igwe Ndigbo Title in South Africa

AbaThembu senior royal advisor, Matthew Mpahlwa, alleged that the event is a spread of misinformation.

He noted that the Eastern Cape is not a colony or an extension of Nigeria and should not be treated as such.

“It’s a simple act of terror. There is no purpose for anyone to start spreading misinformation that we welcome and will give a Nigerian national royalty in the Eastern Cape,” Mpahlwa stated.

He added that the individual has no ancestral connection to the land he currently occupies.

Furthermore, the advisor noted that the government must take decisive action against those involved.

“In fact, later today we will be making a call to the Consul General of Nigeria to come and explain this,” he stated.

Minister Hlabisa Rejects Foreign Royalty As An Insult To Sovereignty

The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, also slammed the coronation during a public address.

He described the ceremony as an insult to the Republic of South Africa and its established traditional structures.

"What is being shown on social media, we regard it as just the Sunday school playing of kids who do not know what they are actually doing,” Hlabisa stated.

The Minister said that South Africa already has enough kings who serve as the true custodians of the nation’s culture.

Hlabisa alleged that any person belonging to Nigeria must return to their home country to be a custodian of culture there.

He noted that bringing foreign royal titles into South African territory is a direct undermining of the law and local traditions.

The AbaThembu Royal Council has maintained that King Dalindyebo remains the sole supreme authority in the region and that no foreign titles will be recognized or permitted within the kingdom’s boundaries.

The “Igbo Kingdom” and Land Dispute

This is not the first time a local community Igbo diaspora kingship has generated a fuzz.

The situation in South Africa mirrors a massive controversy that rocked Ghana in July 2025 involving the same title of “Eze Ndi Igbo.”

The Ghanaian “fuzz” centered on Eze Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, a Nigerian businessman who has lived in Ghana since 1995. He was crowned “King of the Igbo people in Ghana” in 2012, but the tension reached a breaking point in 2025.

Social media reports had incorrectly alleged that Ihenetu had acquired 50 acres of land in Old Ningo (near Accra) to build an “Igbo Village,” drawing considerable backslash from locals.

Much like the current case in South Africa, the South East Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria also weighed in, stating that the title of “Eze” is sacred and cannot be self-assumed or exported to foreign lands.

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