Johannesburg, South Africa – It is with sadness that the Nelson Mandela Foundation acknowledges the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a prominent figure in the tapestry of South Africa's history.
His legacy is an imposing and complex one, embracing strands as diverse as the mobilisation of ethnic identities in political struggles, the making of peace, service in a government of national unity, and dedication to making democracy work in South Africa. His life journey intersected at multiple points with that of Nelson Mandela. In many ways the two leaders came to embody an understanding of reconciliation which had no need of forgiveness, nor of forgetting the past, nor even of learning to like one another – it was simply about determining to get on together.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation extends its condolences to the Buthelezi family, the IFP, and all South Africans who mourn the loss of an elder.
Hamba kahle Shenge. We will remember you.