Cultural expert Professor Musa Xulu says he fears for his life after king Misuzulu kaZwelithini declared him the enemy of the Zulu nation.

Addressing thousands of maidens and amabutho (warriors) at the Reed Dance festival on Saturday, the visibly angry king launched a deliberate attack at Xulu by calling him an umquba (useless person) who is against his kingship.

Although the king did not state clearly what Xulu had done wrong, it appeared that the king was responding to his criticism of moving the event from its original venue at the Enyokeni palace, where the government had just completed a R140 million amphitheatre.

The dome-designed structure was requested by the king’s late father, king Zwelithini, specifically for the Reed Dance ceremony. Earlier in the day, speaking on SABC TV, Xulu had criticised the king’s decision to abandon the infrastructure that was built with taxpayers money in Enyokeni and moved the event to another palace.

In his address, the king also blasted the public broadcaster (SABC) for interviewing Xulu whom he described as having been critical of his rule since he became the king. The king further warned Xulu that he must know that the Zulu nation was angry with him and by insulting him, he was also insulting all the Zulus. 

Reacting to the attack, Xulu said on Sunday that he regarded the king’s utterances as direct order to the Zulus, particularly amabutho to attack him. He stated that when a king publicly declares a person the enemy of his subjects, clearly it was an incitement of violence against that person.

“This was a clear call to the Zulu nation to attack me so I fear for my life. The king declared war against me. As a commander of amabutho, his utterances were a direct instruction to them to attack me. I am an expert and was giving my opinion so if you don’t agree with my argument you present the counter-argument not resorting to war,” said Zulu.

The king’s spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu said he was unable to dissect and analyse the king’s utterances because the monarch was speaking what was in his mind.

“What am I expected to say because the king has said what he said? I don’t think I can say anything about the king’s speech,” said Zulu.

Xulu also crossed paths with most of the conservative Africans when he defended the Constitutional Court ruling that it was unconstitutional to force women to adopt husbands’ surnames after marriage. Xulu said that there was nothing wrong with men adopting wives’ clan names, arguing that surnames were a colonial invention which was introduced in the population register for the purposes of annexation of clans.

willem.phungula@inl.co.za

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