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. Prof Xulu said he believes the king was angered by an interview he gave to local media, in which he criticized the expenses involved in moving to the new eMashobeni palace, which cost 152 million rand ($9m; £6.5m) to renovate.
Talking about public finance is not an insult, he stated, asserting that he holds no personal grievances against the king.
Regarding the prospect of stick-fighting, Prof Xulu noted that it is part of Zulu culture but emphasized that those who fight must be equals, stating, I'm not equal to the king. He also mentioned that he hadn’t participated in stick-fighting since his teenage years.
King Misuzulu, crowned in 2022 amid a royal conflict over succession, holds significant influence over the Zulu populace, which comprises about a fifth of South Africa's 64 million people. The monarchy, while lacking formal political power, maintains a considerable yearly budget funded by taxpayers.
The Zulu kingdom is well-known historically, particularly for its victory against British forces during the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana.
