Edward Zuma, son of President Jacob Zuma has defended King Goodwill Zwelithini as the king became targets of attacks by commentators over the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The younger Zuma’s intervention came following the comment by News24 columnist Max du Preez, in which he criticised the king, for making the statement, believed to have triggered the attacks against foreigners, first in Durban, before spreading to the commercial city of Johannesburg.

Edward Zuma said Du Preez’s sentiments on King Goodwill Zwelithini were “disrespectful not only to him [as the king] but to the Zulu nation as well”.

He called on Du Preez to apologise to the Zulu king.

“He is disrespecting the Zulu king and our culture,” charged Zuma.

On Tuesday, News24 published a column written by Du Preez, titled ‘Zwelithini should face the consequences’, in which he lambasted King Good Zwelithini and said that “it was high time the king was put in his place.”

“South Africans should not simply sweep Zwelithini’s reckless statements on foreign nationals, the most obvious trigger of the latest wave of xenophobic attacks, under the carpet. Any influential public figure guilty of such provocative, irresponsible utterances should be forced to face the consequences of his actions,” Du Preez said in his column.

Du Preez said Zwelithini was treated very differently from other kings.

“It is high time the king of the Zulu is put in his place. He is not above the law or the Constitution. He behaves as if he is the South African equivalent of Swaziland’s Mswati III,” he wrote.

Du Preez’s comments have clearly angered Zuma junior.

“Does he share the same sentiments about Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II?” Zuma asked.

“He would never belittle her the way he did with King Goodwill Zwelithini, so he must stop belittling the Zulu nation and African customs. Polygamy is something that we have practised for many years and we are happy with it.

“He [in his column] belittled our Zulu culture. He is basically telling us, particularly the Zulu nation, to get a life and that we have become too Westernised.”

“Max does not have traditional leaders and he needs to be reminded where he comes as an individual. King Goodwill Zwelithini is the king of the Zulus. If you are a Zulu, whether you are in Europe or in America, he is your king and if Max has a problem with that then he must pack himself and throw himself away and maybe then will he find himself.”

Zuma said Du Preez owed the king an apology.

“Our king is not living on crumbs; he is here because we support him. Who puts Queen Elizabeth II in her place? Where does he get off telling us how to follow our culture?”

He admitted that the Zulu nation had made mistakes in the past but said, “these [mistakes] are not for Du Preez to “have breakfast over”.

“What our king said [during the moral regeneration event in Pongola last month] is correct. Du Preez needs to be put in his place because he has taken democracy and his freedom of expression too far. He can’t talk about our king, especially as an elder to us, like that.”

Zuma said if Du Preez has a problem with the current administration then he must come out and say it.

“He needs to come out and be a man about it. He must come to us and we will address the issues. He’s had a problem ever since certain people took over the country. He must stop being a hypocrite. In 1994 he was singing a different tune and in 2015 he is saying all of these things.

“He is busy trying to be an academic and analyst but the bottom line is that we know that he hates the ANC, we all know that. And we will forever love the ANC.”

Zuma said Du Preez’s comments sometimes reek of racism.

“His comments have a tendency to create social divides. He is a bitter old, white man who does not want to accept that South Africa is in a transitional phase. He must either accept that or hit the ceiling. We [the country] can’t be harnessing people like him anymore,” said Zuma.

Edward Zuma, would not have the last word on the controversy as Du Preez has also replied him.

Edward Zuma is showing his true colours by stating that King Goodwill Zwelethini’s clearly xenophobic remarks at the Pongola gathering were “correct”, columnist Max du Preez said on Friday.

“We should have known Mr Zuma agreed with the Zulu king on this issue, as he has made several xenophobic remarks himself in recent weeks.”

Du Preez told News24 no reasonable person who read his column would detect any disrespect to “Zulu culture”.

“However, the Zulu king is an influential public figure playing a political role and he is paid (handsomely) by the South African taxpayer. He is thus not above criticism if he stirs up emotions that most probably have contributed to the killing and uprooting of people.

“Perhaps I should try harder to understand Mr Zuma’s cultural defensiveness, but I am surprised at his ignorance.

“His references to my position on Queen Elizabeth (?) and his remarks that I’ve ‘had a problem ever since certain people took over the country’ and that my comments ‘reek of racism’ simply prove to me that he has no idea what I’ve been doing, saying and writing the last three decades (or the last three months).

“Nothing wrong with that, but then he can’t make sweeping statements about my political views.”