The Economic Freedom Fighter’s Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi gave a rousing farewell speech at the memorial service of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi in Ulundi, describing the late politician as a man of peace.
Ndlozi and EFF MP, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi, were among the many high- profile mourners who attended the memorial service on Wednesday.
The service was organized by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) to honour Buthelezi.
Proceedings were marked by the continuous singing of IFP political songs in praise of Buthelezi's leadership.
Buthelezi founded the IFP in 1975 with the blessings of the ANC leadership of the time.
However, both parties fellout, leading to a brutal low intensity war where over 20 000 people died.
The memorial service was attended by people estimated to be about 15 000.
Taking the podium to speak, Ndlozi described himself as a son of Buthelezi warning his speech would not be short.
Indirectly responding to Buthelezi’s detractors, Ndlozi told his family not to be shaken as they know what the departed leader stood for.
He said the true collaborators are known and a few years back they collaborated with Lonmin to kill striking miners in Marikana.
He was referring to the Marikana massacre where 34 miners were killed by the police in 2012.
Echoing Floyd Shivambu who visited Buthelezi’s family to mourn and said the IFP should remain united as it would be needed to form a coalition government next year.
Ndlovu directed his message to IFP President, Velenkosini Hlabisa and told him to keep the party intact so that it helps the EFF make history in KwaZulu-Natal and at a national level after next year's elections.
Speaking at the same memorial service, Reverend Musa Zondi of the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Foundation also pleaded with the new crop of IFP leaders not to destroy the party.