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Mangosuthu Buthelezi

[boo-tuh-ley-zee]

Inkosi Mangosuthu ("Gatsha") Ashpenaz Nathan Buthelezi (born August 27, 1928) is a South African Zulu leader, and leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) which he formed in 1975.

Early life

Mangosuthu was born on August 27, 1928, in Mahlabathini, KwaZulu-Natal, to Chief Mathole Buthelezi and Princess Magogo kaDinizulu, the sister of King Solomon kaDinuzulu. He was educated at Impumalanga Primary School, Mahashini, Nongoma 1933-1943, then at Adams College, Amanzimtoti 1944-1947.

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.

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.

Corruption allegations

Buthelezi fell out with the ANC prior to the 2004 elections as a result of his implication in a Heath Commission corruption investigation, and lost his position as Minister of Home Affairs. It is alleged that the fallout was aided by Buthelezi's attempts to overhaul the Immigration laws. President Mbeki refused to sign Buthelezi's Immigration Bill. For the first time in South African history a Cabinet Minister took the President to court.

Titles from birth

Umntwana wakaPhindangene (Prince of Phindangene) 1928-
Inkosi yeSizwe sakaButhelezi (Chief of the Buthelezis) 1953-
Indunankulu weSizwe samaZulu (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 Kong1988
Honorary Freedom of the City of Pinetown awarded by City of Pinetown Kwazulu 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 four daughters:

Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi, born 1955
Prince Nelisuzulu Benedict Buthelezi, died of HIV/AIDS on April 29, 2004
Prince Mabhuku Buthelezi, died aged 9 years.
Prince Ntuthukoyeziwe Buthelezi
Prince Phumaphesheya Buthelezi
Princess Lethuxolo Buthelezi, died July 27, 2008 in a car crash.
Princess Sibuyiselwe Angela Buthelezi
Princess Phumzile Buthelezi
Princess Mandisi Sibukakonke Buthelezi, died of HIV/AIDS on August 5, 2004, leaving one son, Zamokuhle

Trivia

Voted 15th in the controversial Top 100 Great South Africans poll (see SABC3's Great South Africans)
Briefly appeared in the movie Zulu as Cetshwayo kaMpande
Referenced periodically by Adrian Edmonson and Rik Mayall in various Bottom programmes, both TV and Live
He is close friends with South African journalist Jani Allan.
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, London1980
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