President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi is no more. Buthelezi (95) was recently discharged from hospital after spending over a month in hospital.
PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAY
The founder of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) had been admitted to hospital since the end of July, after complaining of back problems.
His stay at the hospital was prolonged when Buthelezi was accidentally burnt in his ICU bed when nurses gave him a hot water bottle to warm him up, but it ended bursting and burning his arm.
"I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Prince of KwaPhindangene, Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation and the Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party. Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has been an outstanding leader in the political and cultural life of our nation, including the ebbs and flows of our liberation struggle, the transition which secured our freedom in 1994 and our democratic dispensation," he said.
ROLE IN DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA
Ramaphosa further said that Buthelezi, who served as democratic South Africa’s first Minister of Home Affairs, passed away in the early hours of this morning, just two weeks after the celebration of his 95th birthday.
"My thoughts and prayers and those of government and our nation go out to the Royal Household who have been blessed to share uMntwana waKwaPhindangene’s extended lifetime with him, as well as to the Zulu Nation and the leadership and membership of the Inkatha Freedom Party," he said.
Ramaphosa said that announcements will be made in due course based on consultations between government and the family, on the arrangements to mourn and honour the Inkosi of the Buthelezi clan as a formidable leader who has played a significant role in our country’s history for seven decades.
"We shall, in due course, reflect more extensively on his extraordinary life and diverse contributions to the development of our nation. At this point in time, we embrace the Buthelezi clan in their mourning and pray that the soul of the Prince rests in peace," he said.
