Olusegun Obasanjo remembers Buthelezi as a committed freedom fighter

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Former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has described the late president emeritus of the IFP, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi as a committed freedom fighter.

Obasanjo says the death of Buthelezi is a huge loss to the African continent.

“Mandela never questioned the genuineness and the authenticity of Buthelezi as a genuine freedom fighter. Indeed, the death of a leader of Prince Buthelezi’s statue is a big loss, not only to his immediate family and country, but to the whole of Africa or if I may add the whole of black race. He lived and worked for dignity of humanity,”says Obasanjo.

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Meanwhile, Hlabisa says the biggest and hardest lesson Buthelezi taught IFP members is to forgive. He says the political violence in the 1980’s and 90’s was a source of pain for Buthelezi.

“I remember him saying, I quote, ‘I was opposed to the armed struggle, not because I did not experience the burning pent-up frustration but because I knew it would only reduce our country to a human wasteland’. The loss of life on both sides struck a deep wound in his heart.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the legendary eloquence of the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi will be dearly missed. He was speaking at the funeral service of the founding President of the IFP at the Prince Mangosuthu Regional Stadium, in Ulundi north of Durban, on Saturday.

Buthelezi passed away last Saturday, at the age of 95, and was buried next to his wife just before seven on Saturday.

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