Amabutho or Zulu warriors who are at the Annual Reed Dance at the Enyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal have paid tribute to their Traditional Prime Minister and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Buthelezi died at his home at the age of 95 this morning.
The Annual Reed Dance Ceremony is continuing at the palace where young maidens will hand over the reeds to AmaZulu King Misuzulu KaZwelithini.
Solomon Kunene is one of the leaders of the warriors.
“When I heard about this great loss, I was really shocked as to what is going to be of the Zulu nation, then I went back to the bible and remembered that a man of his stature would depart on such an important day in the Zulu calendar. He was a selfless leader who fought for his people. His loss is a blessing because he will strengthen the Reed Dance day and will be remembered as a giant who crossed over on such an important day.”
Gallery of Prince Buthelezi:
Pics from Buthelezi Foundation.
Earlier, maidens who are part of the Annual Reed Dance Ceremony vowed to sustain the legacy of Buthelezi.
One of the maidens, Zethu Nene says they need to prove to their peers that Buthelezi’s teachings are a foundation of their success.
“What I have learnt from Prince Buthelezi is that it’s very important to uphold your culture and know what it means to be a Zulu person and maiden. It’s important to practice our culture, be proud of who you are and where we come from. I learn’t from Prince Buthelezi about the importance of culture. What I will carry on to do is walk this journey of being a maiden until the time is right.”
