By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The funeral of the late Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) founding President and Traditional Prime Minister of the Zulu Nation, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, will take place on Friday, 15 September 2023.
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, as well as the Buthelezi family, made the announcement after a short meeting on Sunday.
“The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has confirmed that there is ongoing communication with The Presidency on the funeral arrangements. The Premier stated that the funeral service and the associated ceremonial logistics will be communicated in due course,” the provincial government said in a statement.
Prince Buthelezi passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 95.
Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the passing of Prince Buthelezi, the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council, led by the Premier, visited KwaPhindangene in Nkonjeni, uLundi, to pay respects to the family.
Dube-Ncube said Prince Buthelezi was a giant whose footsteps are etched indelibly on the canvas of time, and his role in the negotiations, which led to the democratic transition was emphatic.
“His passing is equivalent to the burning down of a library as Prince Buthelezi was an unmatched chronicler and an encyclopaedia of our history. His memory was, even until his passing, photographic and his storytelling the stuff of international theatres.
“As he transitions to the world of ancestors, our hearts are deeply pained by the loss. On behalf of the government and people of KwaZulu-Natal we doff our hats to Prince Buthelezi for his own part in seeking to work for the people of our country. May his soul rest in peace,” Dube-Ncube said.
In their quest to grieve the sad passing of Prince Buthelezi in private, while accommodating mourners who are streaming in to pay their respects, the family has set up a marquee at the entrance of the homestead where a daily service will be held at 5pm.
The family has thanked South Africans from all walks of life for the outpouring of messages of condolences as they mourn the sad passing of the family head.
Meanwhile King Misuzulu KaZwelithini will not be able to say his last goodbye Prince Buthelezi, who played an important role in getting him to take over the throne after the death of his father.
King Misuzulu and some of his inner circle will have to stay away because of centuries of cultural practices of some of the Nguni monarchs (Zulu, Swati, Ndebele and Xhosa).
It will not be the first time the King of the Zulu nation has not attended a funeral since March 2021.
Shortly after the death of his father King Goodwill Zwelithini in March 2021, he was taken to eSwatini as he was already designated as the next king and he missed the funeral, while the rest of his siblings attended it.
Again, King Misuzulu, who was a Prince by then, also missed the funeral of his mother, Queen Mantfombi Dlamini-Zulu in May 2021. He only came back later to join a memorial service where it became clear that he was going to take over the throne.