Buthelezi returns golden birthday suit to designer
IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has returned his R90‚000 golden birthday suit to its designer.
Durban tailor Janak Parekh‚ the man who designed the suit‚ said on Tuesday that he was left traumatised and heartbroken after Buthelezi returned the suit that he and his family had given him for his 90th birthday.
“My late parents loved Prince Buthelezi and we wanted to honour him.
“We came together as a family and thought it would be fitting to gift him with the suit for his 90th birthday‚” Parekh said.
Buthelezi wore the black suit with gold detailing for a massive birthday celebration held at the International Convention Centre in Durban on August 31.
Among the guests were former presidents Jacob Zuma and F W de Klerk and former first ladies Graça Machel and Zanele Mbeki.
Parekh said the suit had been handcrafted by five artists from across India and he was worried about their reaction when they found out that it had been returned.
“They were very happy when I told them that we would be making a suit for the prince, who is from the same country as Nelson Mandela.
“They will be disappointed that he returned the gift.”
Parekh said that he had been instructed to pick up the suit from the IFP’s Durban office on Thursday last week.
As for Buthelezi’s reasoning, Parekh said: “I don’t know why he returned it.
“I can only imagine it was because of the controversy around how much it cost.”
He maintained that he had not disclosed the price of the suit to anyone.
“I don’t know how this even came out. I would never reveal [what] it costs because that is like buying someone a gift and leaving the price tag on it.”
Parekh has since written a letter to Buthelezi hoping for clarity on the situation.
IFP national spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said: “The matter is not for public consumption.
“We can confirm that [the] suit was returned to its maker and have been instructed not to make further comments.”
Parekh said that the suit had been returned to India, where his family would decide what to do with it.
They had no intention of selling it or making a replica for anyone else. –