Addressing guests and about 3000 maidens at the annual Reed Dance at the Enkoyeni palace in Nongoma at the weekend, Zwelithini warned poachers of his wrath.

"I will personally hunt you down and deal with you accordingly if you carry on with this unbecoming behaviour. You are really behaving like dogs that do not care about the future. These animals should be able to assist in the fight against the poverty. Animals attract tourists to our country who leave us with money to create jobs," he said.

He told maidens and guests from Swaziland, Angola and Mozambique, including President Jacob Zuma, that he was aware that some members of his Osuthu clan were working with rhino poachers.

"These animals are a wealth given by God to the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Change the way you are behaving because the killing of rhinos is a defiance of my order as your king to respect and protect the wildlife.

"Last year alone, 333 rhinos were killed. This year alone, which has not yet come to its end, a total of 274 rhinos has been killed. Stop this, I urge you," he said.

Maidens descended on the Enyokeni palace to present Zwelithini with reeds to symbolise their purity.

Ahead of the event, an important date on the province's calendar, police warned that roadblocks would be set up to curb public drinking. Over the years the event has been condemned for being a "drinking party for youngsters".

A group of maidens, some as young as 10, assaulted a man when he tried to touch them.

They were making their way to the palace when a drunk man accosted them.

The girls pounced on him and assaulted him until they were pulled off by other maidens and their guardians.

Yesterday, the Zulu monarch was showered with gifts, including a luxurious 4x4 vehicle from Malaysian businessman Yusuf Ebrahim, to celebrate his 40 years on the throne.

Also present at the Reed Dance were Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa and acclaimed actress Terry Pheto.

Some VIPs took part in a tree-planting exercise around the palace.