The FW De Klerk Foundation and AfriForum have hailed late prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi as a man of integrity who used non-violence to achieve his objectives.
Tributes continue to pour in for the founder of IFP after he passed away aged 95 at his home on Saturday morning.
The FW De Klerk Foundation saw him as one of the giants in South African politics and a founding father of constitutional democracy.
Buthelezi was described by the late former apartheid president in his biography as a man who took great pride in his position as the traditional prime minister of the Zulu nation.
“Though a fiercely committed Zulu nationalist, Buthelezi was also in many ways a moderate. While resolutely opposed to apartheid, he was committed to non-violence and to using his power base as the chief minister of KwaZulu to achieve his objectives.
“He made a major contribution to the demise of grand apartheid by refusing adamantly to accept the independence of KwaZulu[-Natal] and by insisting on the release of Nelson Mandela and unbanning of the ANC before he would enter into constitutional negotiations with the government,” De Klerk said.
The foundation and De Klerk’s wife, Elita de Klerk, expressed their condolences to Buthelezi’s family, friends and supporters of the IFP.
“South Africa has lost one of its greatest sons,” the foundation said.
Minority rights group AfriForum said it prayed for comfort for the Buthelezi family, the traditional community and the Zulu royal family.
CEO Kallie Kriel said Buthelezi would be remembered for his integrity and commitment to finding peaceful solutions to the coexistence challenge faced by South Africans.
AfriForum’s head of intercultural relations and co-operation Barend Uys said the late IFP founder honoured his ancestors’ legacy.
“Prince Buthelezi, a grandson of His Majesty King Dinuzulu KaCetshwayo, through his actions honoured the proud legacy of his ancestors. He acted in the interest of his cultural community while he strove to maintain the historically good relations that exist between the Zulu and Afrikaner cultural communities,” Uys said.
Meanwhile, GOOD Party leader Patricia de Lille noted how Buthelezi’s life straddled three areas — apartheid, transition and post-democracy which each faced its own challenges and difficulties.
Instead, he emerged as a respected MP and societal elder, De Lille said.
“He was embraced by the father of the nation, Nelson Mandela, as a symbol of South Africa's transitionary reconciliation process. He was even, on occasion, appointed as acting president in Mandela’s absence. While many other politicians battled to adjust to the new South Africa, Buthelezi’s stocks are perceived to have grown,” she said.
The UDM remembers the late Zulu prime minister for setting an example for generations to preserve their identity and heritage.
“He was the first minister of home affairs in our democratic dispensation and led the department with distinction ... A big tree indeed has fallen, and the nation mourns,” UDM secretary-general Yongama Zigebe said.
The Salvation Army also paid tributes to Buthelezi, saying he was deeply concerned about a number of social ills and challenges in the country.
“He was concerned about violence against women and children, and the loss of ubuntu among his subjects. Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi was instrumental in unifying the nation and advocating for peace among his subjects,” the Salvation Army said.
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