What they said . . .

March 21: King Goodwill Zwelithini in Pongola: “As I speak, you find [foreigners] unpleasant goods hanging all over our shops, they soil our streets. We cannot even recognise which shop is which . . . there are foreigners everywhere.

“We ask foreign nationals to pack their belongings and go back to their countries.”

April 10: Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said: “South Africa is not against Africans.

“I’m appealing to all leaders to stop making statements that instigate or condone attacks against foreign nationals. “All our leaders in the country have a responsibility to use words to build and not destroy.”

April 10: Police Minister Nathi Nhleko defended the king, saying he was misquoted. He said: “His context was [that] our borders were porous, people were walking in and out without any documentation. If we continue to allow that situation, we’ll end up not being able to trace them and that contributes to the escalation of crime.” ’MISQUOTED’: King Goodwill Zwelithini

April 11: King Goodwill said: “I ask political leaders that we should respect each other. Democracy should not make them feel like demigods. Although everyone has a right to comment about [kingship], I will not allow myself to be insulted by people who think because of five years which was given to them at the mercy of voters, they are now demigods who should be praised.

“I wish that politicians who comment on what I said in Pongola should do so with knowledge. They should ask Police Minister Nhleko about what I had said, as I was there on his invitation. A person should not comment just because he is standing in front of microphones and cameras.”