Prince Mangosuthu worthy of respect

HOW wonderful it was to hear the conventional prime minister of the kingdom of amazulu (the kingdom of uzulu), Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, saying, la ekhaya or here at home, when referring to the household of Zwelithini, the late king of amazulu.

It goes to show the degree to which African social systems are more advanced than any other grouping of humans. Again, it illustrates vividly how prince Mangosuthu himself identifies with the Zulu kingship, having grown up among the princes and princesses and become an integral part of the royal system.

So much has been said about prince Mangosuthu, how he has blood on his hands, how he betrayed the Struggle of black people and sided with racists and oppressors and how he secretly desires to be the real king of amazulu, and no longer has a reason to involve himself with royal affairs. The prince has indeed dared anyone with proof or evidence to come forward or to present it to the legal and justice agencies. As far as I know, no one has had the ability to do so.

Yet, even publicly, it should be said that the great throne of Zulu and the kingdom itself has good reasons to honour and respect prince Mangosuthu and all that he has done for the nation.

Suffice it to say, if prince Mangosuthu really wanted to usurp the throne and undermine the kings he would have done it easily and there would have been no reason for the late king and his late wife to place in his hands the task of overseeing the royal transition.

Even the former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki showed tremendous respect for prince Mangosuthu. But it is the manner the prince has carried himself and his endurance amid great tragedies and honours that make him a respectful man of honour and finesse.

Prince Mangosuthu has always had a good temperament, even when he lost his children and his wife, and did not become embarrassed to have a black foreigner as a son-in-law. KHOTSO KD MOLEKO | Mangaung, Bloemfontein