Hundreds of mourners gathering at the memorial service of the late IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi applauded and ululated the EFF’s Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi for giving a moving tribute.
The service, organised by the IFP, is taking place at Mangosuthu Buthelezi Stadium in northern KwaZulu-Natal today. Buthelezi died on Saturday morning, in his home surrounded by family.
Ndlozi acknowledged that he is a son of “Shenge” (clan name of Buthelezi). Ndlozi said they ate here to convey their heartfelt condolences as the EFF, and that he was speaking on behalf of the entire membership, led by Julius Malema.
Ndlozi advised the Buthelezi family to never be shaken by negativity and ill-informed ignorant people who are using platforms to say all types of things about the late prince.
“Never be shaken by opportunists, hypocrites who want to educate us about our own history and leadership. We are here to memorialise a man of peace, a person that build peace, and peace is not the language of cowards. Peace is not the language of opportunists.
“Don't listen to people who want to tell us about collaborators, we are not scared of them, we know the true collaborators who are still collaborating to this day to deny our people land, and economic freedom in our lifetime – never be shaken by those talks. We know because they just collaborated few years ago by killing the workers of Marikana, choosing the owners of Lonmin Mine over the workers,” said Ndlozi.
He emphasized that Buthelezi was a man of peace, and some women in attendance ululated with joy. Ndlozi called on the leadership of the IFP to honour the peace of Shenge.
“President (IFP), you must unite your forces under this legacy. Let me tell you president, when we founded the EFF, we learned something important from the IFP. It is the only political formation that could take on the ANC toe to toe, we knew it was possible because the IFP made it possible.
“We knew we were going to survive. If you don’t know if we are going to survive you should have seen FNB Stadium, and if FNB stadium did not convince you, 2024 is coming, and together with the IFP we are going to make it,” said Ndlozi.
He said death is a very painful loss, nobody can get used to it.
“In front of death, we are all equal, death does not choose whether you are black or white, man or woman, it does not matter the gender of the person that you are losing, if you are losing them to death it is painful,” said Ndlozi.
He further said: “This family is going through the most difficult loss any human being can go through. We are here to say be strong in this difficult time, hold on to God, hold on to the faith that your father uShenge taught you. When all of us are gone, when the flowers that are lying here dry up and the spring wind blows them away, you are going to be alone as a family.
“Hold on to the only doctor of hearts which is God that the great Prince kaPhindangene believed in and spoke proudly about.”
ntombi.nkosi@inl.co.za