The king of South Africa's large Zulu community has challenged a professor and cultural expert to a stick fight, saying he had been insulted, along with the entire Zulu nation.
King Misuzulu kaZwelithini issued the challenge to Prof Musa Xulu in front of thousands of people who had gathered at his newly built royal palace for the annual Reed Dance.
We are angry and we will do anything to protect and preserve our cultures, he said, according to the Timeslive news site.
Prof Xulu told the BBC he took the king's personal challenge as a joke, however he said he was worried for his safety in case he was attacked by other Zulus.
I have received threats from hired assassins, he said, adding that he had lodged a formal complaint with the police.
King Misuzulu did not specify exactly what Prof Xulu had said to anger him but he was quoted as saying: It pains me to see another man telling me how to do my job.
It is okay if he is against me, but when he insults me, he insults the Zulu nation as well, he stated, in an unusually short speech on one of the major events in the traditional Zulu calendar.
If his friends are here, go and tell him that there is a fighting ring - if he wants a stick fight, because I can take him up, said the king, aged 50.
Prof Xulu suggested that the king's ire may have stemmed from his interview with the media, where he described the construction of the new eMashobeni palace as extravagant, noting the significant funds allocated for renovations of the previous Enyokeni palace used for the reed dance since 1984.
Despite his criticisms, Prof Xulu emphasized, talking about public finance is not an insult, clarifying that he bears no personal grievances against the king.
Concerning the proposed stick fight, he expressed that traditional Zulu combat requires equals, and stated, I'm not equal to the king. The 64-year-old professor hasn’t participated in stick-fighting since being a teenager.
King Misuzulu was crowned in 2022 amidst a family feud regarding the succession of the throne following the death of his father King Goodwill Zwelithini. His reign is supported by both the Zulu royal household and the South African government, despite the monarchy lacking formal political power.
The Zulu kingdom is a historical entity with significant cultural influence, known for its storied past including the victories against British forces during the 1879 battle of Isandlwana.
