LETTERS TO SCOPE
“'I'M NOT A MARXIST”
MANGOSUTHU G. BUTHELEZI
PRESIDENT OF INKATHA
AND CHIEF MINISTER OF KWAZULU
A letter to the editor from MANGOSUTHU G. BUTHELEZI PRESIDENT OF INKATHA AND CHIEF MINISTER OF KWAZULU
16 December 1967
I FEEL I cannot let the opportunity pass to make certain observations concerning the article “Gatsha Buthelezi, South Africa's Black Napoleon by Louis du Buisson (SCOPE, October 14).”
I want to make it clear that I accept that Mr Du Buisson is entitled to make his own observations and conclusions about me, which need not tally with my own on my work or on how I conduct myself as a politician and leader of my people. I therefore wish only to correct certain inaccuracies just for the record. Even then I will only deal with the most glaring ones.
To state for example that I am "sitting on the fence," (Mr Jimmy Kruger's favourite expression), is a distortion, which most people who know me disagree with very strongly. Mr Du Buisson is aware more than anyone else that I am a leader of my people not because of apartheid policies pursued in this land, I am therefore not leading my people merely for the purpose of administering Pretoria's apartheid policy. My people became subjects of white South Africa from the moment the British defeated us and do not participate in decision making.
My ancestors on both my father's and my mother's side have been running what was their country for nearly 200 years.
It is not correct to state that I work at Ulundi with an Afrikaner. Mr Du Buisson knows that Mr Ed Gregory, who is secretary of my department, is not an Afrikaner. My ancestors on both my father's and my mother's side have been running what was their country for nearly 200 years. That is not to underestimate the work the seconded officials do. I am my own man and I make my own decisions together with my Cabinet.
I would also like to put the record straight concerning the Mercedes 280 SE. This is a kwaZulu Government car, which was not bought for me just as a luxury car. Because of the fact that kwaZulu represents scattered pieces of territory all over the place, and because of the amount of travelling I do to cope with all the demands on me and my time, the strongest possible car was bought as my official transport. How many people know that I travel to Durban almost weekly or even twice a week sometimes, to cope with my tough schedules around that area or in order to board a plane to Johannesburg, driving three hours by car to and from Louis Botha Airport the same day?
“I know most whites will describe any house as a mansion if it belongs to a black man and has toilets under one roof. “
I also wish to correct the impression concerning my house which is described by Mr Du Buisson as a mansion. Admittedly the house is comfortable, but it can hardly be described as a mansion. Does Mr Du Buisson describe it as such because it has toilets inside? I know most whites will describe any house as a mansion if it belongs to a black man and has toilets under one roof.
“The house was built by the Tribal Authority and is my Tribal headquarters. The expenses of building it were borne by the Tribal Authority, so that when LTA, a subsidiary of Anglo-American, built the house at cost at the insistence of my friend Mr Oppenheimer this was done in order to relieve the Tribal Authority from too big a debt.”
I want also to state that while I believe in African communalism, I am not a Marxist or a neo-Communist, as seems implied in parts of the article. The khaki uniform is Inkatha uniform which psychologically Iinks us together as members of Inkatha. It is not worn as part of any socialist posturing as is implied in the article.As for "fraternising with whites," let me say that I regard people as people. I do not regard my friendship with whites who accept my friendship and vice-versa as fraternising with me, or me with them.
MANGOSUTHU G. BUTHELEZI
PRESIDENT OF INKATHA
AND CHIEF MINISTER OF KWAZULU
16 December 1967
SCOPE | DECEMBER 16, 1967
*Produced in the apartheid era, this publication reflects the language, attitudes, and social context of its time and may contain content that some readers find offensive or distressing