PRINCE Mangosuthu Buthelezi was the son of a Zulu royal princess, Princess Magogo, the daughter of the Zulu King, kaDinuzulu kaCetshwayo.
Buthelezi (95) grew up in King Dinuzulu’s royal palace at KwaDlamahlahla in Nongoma and became a member of the ANC Youth League in 1949, at a young age, before founding the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975.
According to Prince Buthelezi, he founded the IFP with the blessing of ANC leaders, former president Oliver Tambo and others.
As the son of Inkosi Mathole Buthelezi and the princess who was a sister of King Solomon, he succeeded his father as inkosi of the Buthelezi clan in Mahlabathini, KZN in 1953.
His chieftaincy was only recognised in 1957 because the government distrusted his activism.
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He assumed the throne of the Buthelezi clan after a dispute with his elder half-brother Mceleli Buthelezi, who was later exiled from the region.
After the 1994 general elections, Buthelezi was elected as a member of the new parliament and served as minister of Home Affairs from 1994 to 2004.
Buthelezi was married to Irene Mzila, who died in 2019. He had three sons, five daughters and several grandchildren, including famous musician Toya Delazy.
In 2019, he stepped down as IFP president after 44 years and appointed Velenkosini Hlabisa as his successor.
As he grew older, he became closer to his son Prince Ntuthuko Buthelezi, who helped him with many things. Other people in the Zulu royal house accused him of wanting to make Prince Ntuthuko the next traditional minister of the Zulu monarch.
Buthelezi's daughter Princess Phumzile Buthelezi is following in his political footsteps, as she is the president of the IFP Women’s Brigade.
Buthelezi was also a loyal leader of the Anglican Church alongside the late King Zwelithini, both of whom were Christians but also focused on Zulu culture.
He was known as the strongest person as he survived Covid-19 three times in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
In many of his speeches, Buthelezi usually said he was in God's grace after he turned 75.
He died while he was still a Member of Parliament and he once told Daily Sun that he would retire from Parliament as soon as the Land Expropriation with Compensation Bill was completed.
