By: Saneliso Mlambo
South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has sparked fierce political debate after claiming that KwaZulu-Natal socialises Zulu children to identify with their ethnicity before South Africa, arguing that the province’s cultural identity has shaped its politics, voting patterns and xenophobic violence for decades.
Vavi made the remarks while speaking remotely from Johannesburg during an interview on Nigeria Info FM 99.3’s Borderlines programme, hosted by Ireti Bakare-Yusuf on Friday, 24 July 2026. During the interview, the veteran trade unionist argued that KwaZulu-Natal places a greater emphasis on kingship, traditional leadership, cultural practices and Zulu identity than any other province in South Africa.
“In KwaZulu-Natal, there is more emphasis about kingship, traditional leadership, music, traditional dancing, than any other part of South Africa,” Vavi said.
He claimed that symbols of traditional warfare and allegiance to the Zulu monarchy are instilled from childhood through schools and community life.
“The spear and the dancing come from school. The salutation to the king come from the school days or even before. A Zulu child is born and raised to be a Zulu. Not to be a South African.”
Vavi argued that this strong ethnic identity has had lasting political consequences in KwaZulu-Natal. According to him, the African National Congress (ANC) has historically struggled to secure an outright majority in the province because many voters continue to prioritise ethnic identity over national politics.
He claimed the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), together with what he described as apartheid’s “white hand”, spent years convincing voters that the ANC was a Xhosa-led organisation despite several of the movement’s early presidents, including John Langalibalele Dube and Chief Albert Luthuli, being Zulu.
“The IFP and the other, they drilled in the mind that nevertheless, despite that history, this is a Xhosa-led organization. We don’t support it, we support our own.”
Vavi further argued that former President Jacob Zuma’s rise to the country’s highest office reinforced his view that ethnic identity remains a decisive political force in KwaZulu-Natal. He claimed ANC support in the province increased while Zuma was president because he is Zulu and declined after he left office.
According to Vavi, many South Africans are reluctant to openly discuss the role ethnicity continues to play in politics because the subject remains highly sensitive.
“A lot of people don’t want to confront that, and they think that is too sensitive, and yet it is continuing to be a political factor.”
The veteran union leader then linked his argument to the recent wave of anti-migrant sentiment and the “Abahambe” campaign, arguing that the same ethnic politics also contributes to xenophobic violence in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Now we have this problem, the biggest crisis about the attacks are from a province that believe… that’s the region where the xenophobic communities are in their mind.”
Vavi said he was not accusing all Zulu people of holding such views and acknowledged the contribution of many Zulu liberation fighters to South Africa’s democratic struggle. However, he argued that xenophobic attitudes remain deeply rooted among sections of society.
He cited chants targeting Shangaans as an example, saying some people attempt to justify violence by claiming they are referring only to Mozambicans and not South African Shangaans.
“When you confront them that, hey, they are Shangaans in South Africa, they say, ‘No, we don’t mean the South African ones. We mean the ones in Mozambique,’ as if they were not human beings.”
Vavi concluded that the ethnic hierarchy he described continues to shape South Africa’s political landscape, warning that the country cannot address recurring political divisions and xenophobic violence without confronting what he believes is the enduring influence of ethnic identity in KwaZulu-Natal.