Farouk Chotia
ZULU king Goodwill Zwelethini has spurned Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s efforts at reconciliation.
Speaking to about 10 000 people in kwaMashu last Sunday, Buthelezi said he had twice sent IFP deputy secretary general Mandla Zakhele “MZ” Khumalo (the sacrificial lamb for the Inkathagate scandal) to the monarch, offering two head of cattle as a “self-imposed penalty” for the demonstration at the Enyokeni palace by IFP supporters during the summit with President Nelson Mandela last Monday.
According to Buthelezi, the king said he could not accept the cattle as “some of the senior princes were not present”. Senior prince Mcwayizeni Israel Zulu confirmed this week that the cattle have been rejected. He said Buthelezi had to appear before Zwelithini and other royal family members to explain why he was offering an apology.
Buthelezi told the kwaMashu crowd that he wanted to apologise for the “transgression by young people”. Observers say this latest twist is a clear indication that Zwelethini is not eager to have ties with Buthelezi.
If the monarch had accepted the cattle, both would have probably been present at a “cleansing” ceremony where the hatchet would have been buried.