Johannesburg - The spokesperson of the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation, Reverend Keith Musa Zondi, says that the foundation takes note of the parallel narrative that has arisen which seeks to denigrate the legacy of Prince Buthelezi, reviving the long-discredited propaganda of our country’s difficult past.
According to Zondi, it is grossly inappropriate for those with narrow and selfish agendas to divert the grief of a nation into pain and anger at this time.
“It is unspeakably evil to open a wound that has never healed, before His Excellency has even been laid to rest, and is deeply disrespectful to the family, the Buthelezi clan, His Majesty the king and the Zulu nation,” said Zondi.
Zondi said that as the custodian of his legacy, the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation will certainly respond at the appropriate time to ensure that the truth once again takes precedence.
“But for now, we pray that all those who loved Prince Buthelezi will be allowed the space to deal with our grief. We cannot be drawn into the painful spiral of hatred of a few individuals shouting from the sidelines, when the wide respect and high regard expressed by so many leaders throughout Africa and beyond our continent speaks for itself,” he said.
He said that Buthelezi’s legacy will endure far beyond this moment, there will be time, after mourning, to educate the few who still cling to old lies to justify their own actions.
“We call on all those who have been distressed and hurt by these individuals to leave it in the hands of God and history, for both will vindicate Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi,” added Zondi.
His statement comes after various perspectives on the legacy of the politician, who some have painted as a warmonger and a protector and defender of the apartheid regime.
Speaking to broadcast media, IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa also commented on the contested legacy of Buthelezi.
Hlengwa said even Jesus Christ was loved by some and hated by others, saying differences in outlook yield differing perspectives.
“Differences in leadership and outlook of any legacy are bound to happen. All I am saying is that 20 000 black people died in this country in a low-intensity black-on-black civil war... (and) 12 000 of them were IFP members and leaders. So, he carries the deaths of people who are his followers, who are his supporters, and who are his colleagues. If we want to have a debate about that time, we can do so,” he said.
He added that the deaths affected both IFP and ANC members and leaders alike, and therefore blaming Buthelezi alone was unfair.
Among the contested actions under his IFP leadership was the Boipatong massacre in June 1992, in which 46 people, many of them women and children, died.
During the TRC hearings in 1998, Vincent Khanyile, part of the 15 members of the IFP who applied for amnesty for the events that took place, said he witnessed attacks on his fellow Zulu-speaking hostel dwellers on the weekend before the massacre.
Khanyile said that he was full of a desire for revenge, and he stabbed one person and threw stones at windows, but did not enter any houses. Khanyile was later arrested and sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment for his part in the massacre.
Meanwhile, in a tribute to Buthelezi by ActionSA KwaZulu-Natal provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango during ActionSA’s inaugural policy conference, said the late leader had shown commitment to South Africa and its people, and that we have learnt a lot from the late leader, mainly respect and integrity.
“He was a champion of his people and he played a prominent role in the Struggle against apartheid. He played a significant role in the Struggle for equality, and was a voice of reason in Parliament. Whenever chaos erupted, he was the only one who gave calm,” said Mncwango.
The Star