Durban - The Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation was officially launched on Thursday not only to preserve Buthelezi’s legacy, but also to contribute to society at large.
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa and the chairperson of the foundation on Thursday paid tribute to Buthelezi at the entity’s launch at the Durban International Convention Centre, saying that the idea for a foundation had been 50 years in the making.
“This is a legacy that he has created through his life’s work, and a foundation to carry his principles could have been established decades ago. His work on nation-building or constitutional democracy deserves to be honoured and continued into the future.
“Former president Nelson Mandela said he was a formidable survivor, (and) former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda said he showed unwavering courage and commitment in the cause of liberation.
“This is the task that Prince Buthelezi has been fulfilling for decades. He willingly shares from his vast experience the truth about the past and offers wisdom for the path ahead,” Hlabisa said.
Hlabisa added that the IFP, the party Buthelezi founded in 1975, had made an undertaking in 2019 and came to a resolution to create a trust that would be administered by a foundation dedicated to preserving Buthelezi’s legacy.
“The foundation was registered in 2022 as a public benefit and non-profit organisation. It exists to preserve Prince Buthelezi's legacy, working towards contributing to a better South Africa, Africa and world. It will ensure that every individual is empowered to reach their full potential (and will advocate for) the virtues of nation-building, constitutionalism, (and) justice.”
Hlabisa said the foundation would collaborate with like-minded organisations for the non-violent resolution of conflict wherever it occurred. It would also promote social cohesion, education as a priority and a fundamental right, and equality, especially gender equality. It would also champion human rights, as well as honour and uphold the Constitution.
Earlier, spokesperson for the foundation Reverend Musa Zondi said it had been set up for the people in South Africa who shared similar values to those “espoused by Buthelezi during his long and illustrious public service, (including) social justice and peace, (as well as) fairness and accountability”.
“We now look forward to what lies ahead and to participating in the conversation we are opening,” Zondi said.