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South Africa's Good-natured Rights Commission is investigating reports that Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini called gay people "depraved" during a speech.
The rights group says it has obtained transcripts to look into the make a difference.
The royal household has denied that the king made any homophobic comments - and has blamed "rate translation".
South Africa's Times MS has stood by its translation but has since carried an editorial saying he may have referring to same-sex procreative abusers.
"Suspicious as I am of the king's intentions in uttering these words, we should be particular about the inferences we draw and translations we make," Times columnist S'Thembiso Msomi said .
South Africa's constitution specifically forbids keenness on the grounds of sexual orientation - but homophobia is widespread and gay people gripe they are often attacked.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says that as the principal of South Africa's largest ethnic group, Ruler Zwelithini is the most influential of the country's many traditional rulers.
Source: BBC News