At the unveiling of a 12-meter statue of King Shaka at Durban’s airport named in his honor, a woman believed to be a guest was arrested after rushing the stage where President Cyril Ramaphosa and King Misuzulu were seated.

Ramaphosa and the king attended the event as chief guests. They unveiled a new statue to replace a previous one that reportedly made the AmaZulu monarch look like a “herdboy.”

Witnesses noted that the woman arrived from a shuttle transporting guests from the airport to the ceremony’s location at a sports field. She approached the front of the stage, climbed the stairs, and attempted to reach Ramaphosa and King Misuzulu before two officers intervened.

Some onlookers reported that she was demanding an audience with the monarch. The woman, barefoot, dressed in a long cream dress, and wearing sunglasses, resisted arrest, hitting two officers before additional members of the VIP protection unit helped remove her from the area.

It remains unclear who her intended target was, and the police have yet to comment on the incident.