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 expressed concern 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, who holds advanced degrees in Zulu music and cultural tourism, stated that he has nothing personal against the king.
Regarding the stick-fighting tradition, he remarked that while it's a part of Zulu culture, it requires an equal standing, which he does not possess relative to the king.
The dispute seems to have roots in Prof Xulu's interview where he criticized the expenditure on the new eMashobeni palace amidst a backdrop of significant previous renovations at the Enyokeni palace.
Despite the serious nature of the exchanges, Xulu remains skeptical about the king's intentions, pointing out that discussions about public finance should not be deemed insulting.
King Misuzulu, crowned in 2022 amidst a family succession dispute, continues to navigate these cultural landscapes in a nation of 64 million, where the Zulu community holds significant historical weight, known notably for their remarkable victory against British forces in 1879.
