AS the dust settles surrounding the controversial unveiling of the Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela statues by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month, fresh controversy is brewing following a call for a monument to be erected for the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

The call was made by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi who said the third statue would honour the legacy of the late Prime Minister to the Zulu Nation, and Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party, and recognise the role he played in the struggle.

“Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi was the bridge between the ANC Mission in Exile of Mr Oliver Tambo and the new democratic dispensation of President Nelson Mandela,” said Buthelezi. “Prince Buthelezi kept the struggle alive in South Africa. When the apartheid regime had silenced both Tambo and Mandela – Buthelezi was the voice of the oppressed.”

Also Read: Ramaphosa to unveil statues of struggle icons in Durban

The MEC said a complete and truthful reflection of South Africa’s liberation history must recognise Prince Buthelezi’s contribution alongside other national icons.

Buthelezi made the call during his keynote address at the 2026 KwaZulu-Natal Municipal Excellence Awards, held at the Durban International Convention Centre. “The two statues in eThekwini are therefore incomplete without the statue of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.”

He added that honouring Prince Buthelezi alongside other liberation icons would ensure a more inclusive historical narrative that acknowledges the collective leadership that shaped the nation.

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