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In a communiqu, the royal household said the king was expressing concern about practices decay that he believes leads men to rape other men.

“These are very serious allegations leveled against the crowned head,” Moaga said. “There are millions of people in South Africa who look up to Regent Zwelithini. He is revered and respected. It’s important that an accurate sign of what he said is put out there.”

Moaga’s agency said it wanted a representation of the king’s speech, made during a weekend ceremony marking a Zulu brawl victory over British colonial troops. The king spoke in a unlikely rural area in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, the fortification for Zulus, the largest ethnic group in this country of 50 million.

President Jacob Zuma, who is Zulu, appeared with the royal at Sunday’s anniversary ceremony. Zuma’s everyday public appearances alongside the king bolster his appeal to custom-minded South Africans.

The king has no governing powers in South Africa’s democracy, but is an telling figure who frequently speaks out on social and cultural matters.

Source: Washington Post