South Africa funeral of historian

David Rattrey was a master raconteur

More than 1,000 mourners in South Africa have attended the funeral of historian David Rattray, renowned for leading Anglo-Zulu battlefield tours.

He was murdered by intruders at his lodge in KwaZulu-Natal province.

He lived in Fugitive's Drift, which overlooks Isandhlwana - the 19th Century site where Zulu fighters inflicted a defeat on the British army.

The site is also near Rorke's Drift, defended by a small British band against an overwhelming Zulu force.

Speaking at the funeral, the leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said South Africans were crying out for something to be done about the high rate of crime in the country.

Police said it was unclear what the motive was; they are questioning two men in connection with the murder.

David Rattrey had become the leading authority on the Zulu wars and was also a master raconteur who hosted tourists from all over the world.

He had also become a friend of Prince Charles.

The BBC's correspondent in Johannesburg Peter Biles says the killing has raised renewed concerns about the high level of violent crime in South Africa.

There are more than 18,000 murders every year but President Thabo Mbeki recently said that crime was not out of control.