RIP, Mangosuthu Buthelezi

Days ago, Mangosuthu Buthelezi died.

He was the Prime Minister for the traditional Zulu family from 1954 until he died, again just days ago.

Like most people, I remember him being a prominent figure during the days of apartheid. He was a political opponent of Nelson Mandela. He became chief minister of the KwaZulu bantustan (bantustans, also known at the time as "Homelands," were kind of a gimmick set up by the white minority government to grant these basically fake nations their independence, and to effectively argue that, in fact, there were no "black South Africans") during the days of apartheid and, ultimately, he founded and led the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), beginning in 1975.

Admittedly, while I kept up with the situation in South Africa to some degree during the days of apartheid, I never fully understood Buthelezi, or what his exact positions were. According to Wikipedia, his critics suggested that he was a totalitarian. As I understand it, he also helped to revive Zulu nationalism, which I remember, at the time, was again criticized as being useful to the white minority apartheid government, dividing blacks along tribal lines. 

Still, Buthelezi was a very vocal opponent of apartheid and one of the most visible and vocal black leaders during those days, even advocating for the release of Mandela from jail. Yet, he would consistently remain a political thorn on Mandela's side, and even worked to boycott the 1994 election, which was the first multiracial election in South Africa.

In any case, I figured that his passing was worth noting here.

RIP, Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

Mangosuthu_Buthelezi's Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosuthu_Buthelezi

Mangosuthu Buthelezi: South African leader and Zulu prince dies aged 95 published by Al Jazeera, 9 Sep 2023:

Buthelezi, a veteran South African politician, who was once a rival to former President Nelson Mandela, has passed away.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/9/mangosuthu-buthelezi-south-african-leader-and-zulu-prince-dies-aged-95