Durban – An aide to Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi says they are comforted by the send-off granted to the traditional prime minister as it underlined his stature in South Africa.
Buthelezi who passed away on September 9 was laid to rest, and his funeral in Ulundi in northern KwaZulu-Natal, was attended by a number of leading figures in public office and business community.
His private secretary Liezl van der Merwe said they were overwhelmed by messages of support from wider community following Buthelezi’s death.
She added that they were satisfied and comforted by the way in which his funeral had been handled.
“Yes we believe uMntwana waKwaPhindangene received a dignified send-off befitting of his stature – an elder statesman, Inkosi of the Buthelezi clan and AmaZulu Traditional Prime Minister for the past 69 years,” said Van der Merwe on Sunday.
She expressed gratitude over the messages of support they had received from last week building up to the funeral on Saturday.
“We thank all South Africans who came to pay their last respects, those who joined the funeral proceedings online and through the media. The work now starts to build on and honour uMntwana’s legacy,” she stressed.
Cultural expert Professor Musa Xulu said the attendance of the funeral by a number of leading figures simply showed the influential figure that Prince Buthelezi was.
He noted that aside from being a political figure, Buthelezi had been a member of the Anglican Church and a traditional leader and this was the reason for a massive attendance at the funeral.
Aside from President Cyril Ramaphosa, some of the figures attending included former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma.