In line with burying a traditional leader, regiments from the Buthelezi clan will on Friday bring home the body of the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi for the last time before he is buried on Saturday.
The regiments will escort the body from central Ulundi to Nkonjeni, some 16km away, and bring it home.
According to Mpikayise Buthelezi, the acting Inkosi (Chief) of the Buthelezi clan, since the departed prince was a leader of the clan, Prince Buthelezi has to come to his home for the last time to rest.
“He has to rest and amabutho (regiments) will be the one escorting the body from the mortuary to home,” Mpikayise told IOL.
By Friday morning, Buthelezi’s home was already a hive of activity with a large group of regiments gathering to begin their traditional trek to the mortuary to bring his body home.
They were occasionally chanting Zulu war slogans and conducting traditional dances while waiting for an official word to start marching to the mortuary..
The regiments, who were mainly clad in traditional Zulu attire, were joined by others who were in IFP regalia.
Buthelezi was also the founder of the IFP and when he retired in August 2019, the party bestowed him with the position of President Emeritus.
Meanwhile, the eThekwini municipality has poured cold water on the claims that it would be providing buses to KwaMashu hostel dwellers and Durban residents who wish to travel to Ulundi to attend the funeral.
According to Nicho Biyela, one of the Indunas (headman) of KwaMashu hostel, 18 buses are allegedly set to be allocated to their hostel alone and the rest will go to townships.
However, the ANC-run municipality told IOL no such arrangement had been made as the buses are managed by an outside company and cannot be leased out at at expense of public commuters.
It added that anyone who wishes to hire the buses must liaise with the private company contracted to run services.
IOL Politics