By Celani Sikhakhane
The grandchildren of the late Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, addressed the nation in English at his funeral.
Considering that almost 90% of the attendees at the funeral were isiZulu-speaking, South Africans expressed their shock on social media.
Prince Zakithi Buthelezi, grandson of the late leader and heir to the Buthelezi legacy after his father, Prince Zuzifa Buthelezi, confessed his discomfort with the Zulu language.
“The biggest problem was that we spent much of our childhood in boarding schools,” Prince Zakithi mentioned in a conversation with Scrolla.Africa.
“This created a distance between us, our culture, and especially our Zulu language. I am ashamed that I struggle to speak isiZulu fluently.”
He has now committed to online isiZulu lessons, given the responsibility he’s set to inherit in the Buthelezi clan.
His father, Prince Zuzifa, is preparing to ascend as the senior traditional leader of the clan, a position Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi held from 1953 until his recent passing.
Pictured above: Grandchildren of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi mourn at his funeral on Saturday.
Image source: Supplied
