Amazulu King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini is roping in government and traditional leaders as he steps up his campaign to combat gender-based violence (GBV).

On Saturday, King Misuzulu led a march against GBV in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The march started from King Dinuzulu Park and continued to Kings Park Stadium.

Addressing the crowd at the stadium, King Misuzulu said: "We need to fight together to end gender-based violence. We as men must lead this fight because we are the perpetrators."

To increase awareness of the scourge of violence against women and children in rural communities, King Misuzulu plans to meet with headmen (iziNduna) from different traditional councils in KZN.

He said that if men take a backseat, then the fight against gender-based violence would be futile.

"We need to lead this fight as men."

The king referred to GBV as a "demonic spirit".

"I urge everyone, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, as it becomes number one in this country when it comes to this problem to fight against violence directed at women," says King Misuzulu.

He made a call to the public, especially in KZN, to join in the fight against GBV.

"I urge all those who live in South Africa that we fight this demonic spirit that engulfs our country today," the king said.

More than 56% of all the women murdered in 2019 were killed by their intimate partners, according Saferspaces, an organisation which aims to fight violence in the country.

In 2021 alone, 2,655 women were killed in South Africa, according to SAPS.

GBV has been in the spotlight in South Africa as more women continue to die at the hands of their intimate partners.

King Misuzulu took the reins of the solid 15 million-strong Amazulu nation in August when he performed the entering of the kraal ritual (ukungena esibayeni).

The newly crowned king says the fight against GBV was one of his father's passions. His father, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, passed away in 2021.