Influential and highly regarded Zulu leader Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi has died at the age of 95 on Saturday, 9 September 2023.
Prince Buthelezi was the founder and president emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a political movement that promotes the rights and interests of the Zulu people – playing key roles in the struggle against apartheid and shaping the transition to democracy.
Prince Buthelezi who was born into the Zulu royal family was the son of Princess Magogo kaDinuzulu and Inkosi Mathole Buthelezi.
He was traditional prime minister to the Zulu monarch, a position he held since 1954, serving under three successive kings.
Educated at Fort Hare University, where he joined the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) and became friends with prominent figures such as Robert Sobukwe and Robert Mugabe.
Prince Buthelezi had a remarkable career that spanned over seven decades and became chief of the Buthelezi clan in 1953. He was later Appin the head of the KwaZulu Territorial Authority in 1970.
He founded the IFP in 1975 as a cultural organisation that later became a political movement. He vehemently challenged apartheid but also rejected violence as a means of resistance.
He sought for federalism and self-determination for the Zulu people within a united South Africa.
He was among those involved in negotiations with the apartheid government and other political parties to end white minority rule and pave the way for a democratic South Africa.
Between 1994 and 2004, he was Minister of Home Affairs and remained a Member of Parliament until his death.
He was also a cultural icon who revived the Zulu monarchy as a symbol of Zulu nationalism. In a 1964 movie Zulu, he acted as his great-grandfather, King Cetshwayo kaMpande.
Prince Buthelezi promoted interfaith dialogue and tolerance. He was married to Irene Audrey Thandekile Mzila for 67 years until her death in 2019. They had eight children and several grandchildren.
Many have lauded him as a visionary leader, a peacebuilder, a statesman, a patriot, and a legend. Prince Buthelezi’s death has been met with an outpouring of grief and tributes from across South Africa and beyond.
