Dear friends and fellow South Africans,
Last week my family suffered the loss of my son, Prince Phumaphesheya Gregory Buthelezi, who finally succumbed to multi-drug resistant TB after a long battle. Messages of support and condolence flowed in from every part of the world, and we were again reminded of the kindness of strangers and the love of friends. I wish to thank the many South Africans who prayed for our family and sent notes of sympathy. Your support has been a balm to our souls.
Having lost five children, two in the tragically sudden circumstances of car accidents, I am familiar with grief. I know the pain of a parent who must bury their greatest treasure, and live on in the absence. I am also acquainted with the grief of losing friends, colleagues and mentors, parents, siblings and comrades. I have attended many funerals and cried many tears.
I therefore know better than to disregard the human aspect of political violence.
It has been painful for the IFP to witness the commemorations of political violence that are part of the centennial programme of the ANC, for all of these have been commemorations of violence perpetrated against ANC supporters, despite the fact that the People's War waged by the ANC against their political opponents claimed some 20 000 black lives.
Over a short space of time, the public discourse has been flooded with memories of violence. There have been newspaper articles about the Boipatong Massacre and the Trust Feeds Massacre. SABC has aired "The Bang Bang Club", a "docie-drama" that states as fact the lie that the IFP was an ally of the Apartheid Government in its covert war against the ANC. The ANC has unveiled a Heroes' Arch to victims of the black-on-black violence, deliberately excluding the IFP.