Inkosi
Mangosuthu Buthelezi (born August 27, 1928)
is a
South African Zulu politician who founded the
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975
and continues to lead the party today.
Early life
Mangosuthu was born on August 27, 1928, in Mahlabathini,
KwaZulu, to Chief Mathole Buthelezi and Princess
Magogo kaDinizulu, the sister of King
Solomon kaDinuzulu.
He was educated at
Impumalanga Primary School, Mahashini, Nongoma
from 1933 to
1943, then at Adams College, Amanzimtoti
from 1944 to 1947.
Mangosuthu
studied at University of Fort Hare
from 1948 to 1950, where he joined the African National Congress Youth
League and came into contact with Robert
Mugabe and Robert Sobukwe.
He was expelled from the university after student boycotts. He
later completed his degree at the
University of Natal.
Chieftainship
Buthelezi inherited the chieftainship of the large Buthelezi tribe
in 1953 (a position he still holds today), though not without
controversy — his older brother Mceleli would have taken the post
if he had not run afoul of the law.
In 1970, Buthelezi was appointed leader of the KwaZulu territorial
Authority and in 1976 became
chief minister of the
quasi-independent
Bantustan of
KwaZulu. The emerging
Black Consciousness Movement of
the 1970s branded him an
Apartheid regime
collaborator, because of his strong anti-Communist belief. However,
he consistently declined homeland independence and political deals
until
Nelson Mandela was released
from prison and the African National Congress was made legal.
Inkatha Freedom Party
In 1975 Buthelezi started the
IFP with the blessing of the African
National Congress, but broke away from the ANC in 1979 and his
relationship with the ANC sharply deteriorated. He was encouraged
by
Oliver Tambo, the then President of
the
ANC mission in exile
to revive the cultural movement. In the mid 1970s it was clear that
many in the Black Consciousness Movement were at odds with
Buthelezi's politics. For instance, during the funeral of
Robert Sobukwe he was barred from attending
the service since they argued that he was a notable collaborator of
the Nationalist Government. In 1979 Inkosi Buthelezi and the
Inkatha Yenkululeko Yesizwe, as it was then known, severed ties
with the main
ANC since
the ANC favoured military strategies by employing the use of
Umkhonto we Sizwe, Spear of the
Nation. The meeting that was held in London between the two
organisations did not succeed in ironing out differences.
In 1982
Buthelezi opposed the apartheid government's plan to cede the
Ingwavuma
region in northern Natal to the Swaziland
government. The courts decided in his favour
on the grounds that the government had not followed its own black
constitution act of 1972, which required consultation with the
people of the region. He was also instrumental in setting up the
teacher training and nursing colleges throughout the late 1970s and
the early 1980s.
He requested Harry Oppenheimer, his great friend and
ally, to establish Mangosuthu Technikon
in Umlazi
, south of
Durban.
Mahlabatini Declaration
On January
4 1974, Transvaal
leader of the United Party Harry Schwarz met with Mangosuthu Buthelezi
and signed the Mahlabatini Declaration of principles. They
agreed on a five-point 5 point plan for racial peace in South
Africa. Its purpose was to provide a blueprint for
government by consent and racial peace in a
multi-racial society, stressing opportunity for all, consultation,
the federal concept, and a
Bill of
Rights. It was much closer to the
Progressive Party than the
United Party policy. It caused a split in the
United Party later that year.
Para-military accusations
Buthelezi
was said to have been working with General Magnus Malan in training the youth of Ulundi
and other
parts of the erstwhile KwaZulu Homeland
in setting up a para-military unit ostensibly because he feared
that a lot of property and life were lost during the cataclysmic
conflicts of 1984 to 1994. He was even implicated in the
Truth
and Reconciliation Commission Report as a person who was
responsible for the gross violations of
Human Rights but before the report was
published he took them to court and before the court's ruling
Buthelezi and the Truth Commission agreed to settle out of
court.
Meeting with Mandela and the elections
Buthelezi at first refused to participate in the first democratic
South African elections in April 1994 but chose to enter at the
very last minute, after a meeting held on April 8, when
Mandela and
de Klerk tried to sway the Zulu
king,
Goodwill
Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu from his dependence on Buthelezi by
offering him a guarantee of special status of the Zulu monarchy
after the elections. The offer was not immediately successful, but
Buthelezi seemed sympathetic to the idea. The foreign mediation
team led by former
U.S.
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former
British Foreign Minister Lord Carrington were pivotal in reaching a
compromise, and convinced the IFP leader to give up the boycott of
the elections. Buthelezi therefore signed an agreement with deKlerk
and Mandela that guaranteed the ceremonial status of the Zulu king
and was promised that foreign mediators would examine Inkatha's
claims to more autonomy in the Zulu area. It was probably too late
though, because Buthelezi was losing support fast, and as a
consequence, his party only narrowly won the elections in
KwaZulu-Natal. In May 1994, Buthelezi was
appointed Minister of
Home Affairs in
the first post-Apartheid government, a position he continued to
hold following the 1999 elections. He was appointed acting
president a number of times during this period.
Though his appointment in the government of national unity was a
kind of catharsis, the
Zulu King
openly lambasted Buthelezi and told many members of the ruling
party that he was like Mandela because for 24 years of KwaZulu
government he could not operate freely. Buthelezi countered that by
saying that His Majesty should not interfere in political matters,
rather the Zulu monarchy should be modelled along the same lines as
the British one.
Demise of Government of National Unity
Prior to the 2004 elections President Thabo Mbeki refused to sign
into law Buthelezi's attempt to overhaul the Immigration laws. For
the first time in South African history a Cabinet Minister took the
President to court in an attempt to secure stricter immigration
regulations.
After the 2004 elections President Thabo Mbeki offered Buthelezi
the Deputy Presidency, which he refused, as in exchange the IFP
would have to relinquish the Premiership of the IFP dominated
province of KwaZulu-Natal. Since 1994 South Africa was governed by
a multi-party Government of National Unity. By the time of the 1999
elections this transitional condition fell away, but the majority
ANC government again invited the IFP to join it in government.
After the 2004 elections, with Buthelezi declining the Deputy
Presidency, the IFP left the coalition government and sat in the
opposition benches.
Buthelezi remained a Member of Parliament after the
April 2009 general
election.
Titles from birth
- (Prince of Phindangene) 1928-
- (Chief of the Buthelezi tribe) 1953-
- (Traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation)
Positions
- Member of National Parliament 1994-
- President of Inkatha Freedom Party 1975-
- Chancellor Emeritus of the University of
Zululand
- Member of University of KwaZulu Natal Foundation and
Alumni
- Erstwhile Minister of Home Affairs 1994-2004
- Chairman of Traditional Leaders in the KwaZulu Natal Legislature
Awards
- King's Cross Award awarded by HM King Zwelithini ka
Bhekuzulu 1989
- Key to
the City of Birmingham awarded by Alabama
1989
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters awarded by City University
Los Angeles 1989
- Freedom of Ngwelezana awarded by Ngwelezana 1988
- Unity, Justice and Peace Award by Inkatha Youth Brigade
1988
- Magna
Award for Outstanding Leadership awarded by Hong Kong
1988
- Honorary Freedom of the City of Pinetown awarded by City of PinetownKwazulu Natal 1986
- Hon
LLD Boston
University
1986
- Nadaraja Award by Indian Academy of SA 1985
- Man of the Year by Financial Mail 1985
- Newsmaker of the Year by Pretoria Press Club 1985
- Hon
LLD Tampa University Florida
1985
- Apostle of Peace (Rastriya Pita)by Pandit Satyapal Sharma of
India 1983
- George Meany Human Rights Award by The Council of Industrial
Organisation of the American Federation of Labour (AFL-CIO)
1982
- French National Order of Merit 1981
- Hon LLD University of Cape Town 1978
- Citation for Leadership by District of Columbia Council
United
States of America
1976
- Hon LLD by Unizul 1976
- Knight Commander of the Star of Africa for
Outstanding Leadership by President
Tolbert Liberia
1975
- Newsmaker of the Year by SA Society of Journalists 1973
- Man of the Year by Institute of Management Consultants of SA
1973
Marriage
He was married
July 2,
1952 to
Irene Audrey Thandekile Mzila,
and they had three sons and five daughters:
- Princess Phumzile Buthelezi, born 1953. Mother
of Prince Nkosinathi Buthelezi (died in 2002 in a car crash) and
Prince Bongimpumeleo Khumalo
- Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi, born 1955. Father to
Princess Nokuthula Buthelezi and Prince Zakhithi Buthelezi
- Princess Mandisi Sibukakonke Buthelezi, died
of HIV/AIDS on August 5, 2004, leaving one son, Prince Zamokuhle.
- Princess Mabhuku Snikwakonke Buthelezi, born
1957, died 1966.
- Princess Lethuxolo Buthelezi, born 1959, died
July 27, 2008 in a car
crash. Is survived by daughter Princess Latoya Buthelezi
- Prince Nelisuzulu Benedict Buthelezi, born 21
March 1961, died of HIV/AIDS on April 29,
2004. He is survived by the Princes Mongezi,
Sibonelo and Simingaye Buthelezi
- Prince Phumaphesheya Buthelezi. born 1963.
Father to Prince Nkululeko, Princess Nqobile and Princess Sphesihle
Buthelezi
- Princess Sibuyiselwe Angela Buthelezi, born
1969, mother of Princess Ntandoyenkosi Nkireuka Buthelezi
Trivia
- Voted 15th in the Top 100 Great South Africans poll (see
SABC3's Great South
Africans)
- Briefly appeared in the movie Zulu as Cetshwayo
kaMpande, and was thanked in the closing credits of the movie
Zulu Dawn, a "prequel" to
Zulu.
- Referenced periodically by Adrian Edmonson and Rik Mayall in
various Bottom programmes, both TV and Live
- In November 25, 2006, he opened the South African version of
dance4life which was held simultaneously around the world. He
opened the ceremony because he is the patron of a HIV/AIDS
charitable organisation.
Published works
- Role of a Foreign Direct Investment in South Africa's Foreign
Trade Policy Publication 1999
- Buthelezi: The Biography Co-Authored 1988
- South Africa: Anatomy of Black-White Power-Sharing Collected
speeches in Europe 1986
- Usuthu! Cry Peace! Co-Author Wessel de Kock 1986
- The Constitution an article in Leadership in SA 1983
- Der Auftrag des Gatsha Buthelezi Friedliche Befreiung in
Südafrika? Biography Contributor 1981
- South
Africa: My Vision of the Future Book Weidenfeld and Nicholson,
London
1980
- Power is Ours Book 1979
- Gatsha Buthelezi: Zulu Statesman Biography Contributor Ben
Tempkin 1976
- Viewpoint: Transkei Independence Book Author Black Community
Programmes 1976
- Prof ZK Mathews: His Death, The South African Outlook Book
Lovedale Press 1975
- Inkatha Book Reality 1975 bi-weekly column syndicated to SA
morning newspapers Author 1974
- KwaZulu Development Black Community Programmes 1972
References
External links
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