South Africa’s Zulu monarch, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, publicly challenged professor and cultural commentator Musa Xulu to a traditional stick fight, saying Xulu had insulted him and the Zulu nation. The king issued the dare before thousands at the annual Reed Dance held at his new eMashobeni palace, vowing to defend Zulu culture and accusing critics of telling him how to do his job.
Xulu told the BBC he viewed the king’s words as a joke but feared for his safety amid threats he says he has received, and confirmed he had filed a police complaint. He believes the monarch was angered by his media interview questioning the move to the new palace, calling it potentially wasteful given significant recent spending to refurbish Enyokeni, the Reed Dance’s long-time venue. “Public finance is fair comment,” said Xulu, who added that stick fighting is for equals and that he last fought as a child.
Misuzulu, 50, was crowned in 2022 after a bitter succession dispute following the death of his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini. Although the throne carries no formal political power, the Zulu monarchy remains influential among a community that makes up roughly a fifth of South Africa’s population and receives an annual state budget of about $4.9 million.