Cultural expert Professor Musa Xulu outlines what is likely to take place in the lead up to Mangusuthu Buthelezi's Funeral.
- Zulu kingdom think tank, Indonsa Yesizwe, founder and cultural expert Professor Musa Xulu, who was close to the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, says there are two possibilities for the funeral.
- One, Buthelezi may be buried secretly tonight, in line with tradition. Two, he may well be buried on Saturday.
- SAPS says the Prince Mangosuthu Regional Stadium, where the funeral will be held, is a "strictly no drone zone".
There is a "likely" possibility that Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi could be buried in a secret funeral service on Friday night, a few hours before the state funeral on Saturday, according to Zulu kingdom think tank, Indonsa Yesizwe, founder and cultural expert Professor Musa Xulu.
Buthelezi was the traditional prime minister to the Zulu nation and founder of the IFP.
Xulu was quite close to Buthelezi, who wrote a final letter to the cultural expert on 5 July, which News24 has seen.
He said:
There are two possibilities right now, depending on which family member you're talking to. The traditional side prescribes that he should be buried at midnight tonight in a secret funeral service, attended only by close family relatives. However, because it's a state funeral, now there are others in the family who are saying maybe that the body will need to be present at the service [on Saturday].
"My take is that both ways could be possible, but the most possible one is that the coffin may be empty," Xulu added.
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He said the latter scenario was the "most likely" but "they will not tell anyone about that" because of Buthelezi's stature, having served three Zulu kings.
"The family is getting ready to go to the mortuary to fetch the body. Certain traditions will be conducted. When a person has passed, someone must go fetch their body with a branch [from a tree known as umlahlankosi in isiZulu], and someone must keep speaking to the (deceased's) soul.
"The person will say [to Buthelezi's soul as they transport the body]: 'We are here now, we are turning now; we are entering your home now; you're going to be kept here overnight'."
Xulu said the person charged with this responsibility will not speak to anyone until the task is complete.
"Tomorrow, when they go to the stadium, the person must start over and speak to the soul by telling the spirit what's happening, and they have to keep talking until the person is buried. They have to place the branch inside the grave," he added.
Xulu said there would have to be Amahubo songs – religious Zulu songs – "to create connectivity between the living and the dead".
He added:
It's a process of transition. They're transitioning him from this land to the land below, which is called elabaphansi [ancestors' land].
"Once the singing starts, the ancestors are believed to immediately mobilise themselves to join those that are singing."
Xulu said he met Buthelezi in 1988. Buthelezi and the late Zulu King then embraced Xulu when he enrolled for a Masters and PhD in Ethnomusicology, focusing on Zulu music, customs, cultures and traditions.
"I became a direct beneficiary of their knowledge. He wrote me his final letter on 5 July 2023," Xulu told News24.
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On Friday morning, Amabutho regiments made their presence felt in traditional song and dance at Buthelezi's royal homestead in KwaPhindangene in honour of the late Zulu chief.
A giraffe and other wild animals were also slaughtered on Friday morning.
Family spokesperson Liezl van der Merwe told News24: "Preparations are on track and going well. Teams from government and the IFP are now busy with final preparations at the stadium and in terms of accreditation. The family is expected to bring uMntwana home to KwaPhindangene for the last time between 14:00 and 16:00 today [Friday]."
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe announced drones will be banned over the stadium on Saturday.
"Police visibility has been heightened in preparation for the 20 000 mourners that are expected to gather in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal to pay their last respect to [...] Buthelezi," Mathe said.
"The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure and the [provincial counterpart] and all law enforcement agencies as well as various other government departments are working together to guarantee that the funeral takes place in a safe and secure environment."
She said Amabutho and those dressed in traditional regalia were informed that traditional spears and shields would be allowed at the venue in line with the Zulu tradition and culture and for the sole purpose of honouring Buthelezi.
"However, members of the public are warned that no firearms will be permitted at the stadium and no illegal discharge of firearms will be tolerated," Mathe said.
There will be a 21-gun salute, she said.
READ | Ramaphosa declares military pomp and ceremony for Buthelezi, prompting family to change funeral date
Since Thursday, Eskom has suspended load shedding at Ulundi ahead of the burial. It is expected to last until Saturday, following a request by the local municipality.
In a letter to Ulundi municipal manager Sandile Khomo, Eskom's Prashunt Lutchman said: "The exclusion has been granted on condition that should the supply/demand position deteriorate further, load shedding may have to be reinstated to mitigate the risk."
It is not the first time Eskom has made such a concession during the burial of a traditional leader.
In 2021, Eskom suspended load shedding nationally between 10:00 and 14:00 during the memorial service of the late AmaZulu King Goodwill Zwelithini.
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