paragraph and then try to use that as a basis to judge their full contribution. We have seen, in the weeks following Shenge's death, attempts by critics and former opponents to do precisely that. I have always believed that a longer view is required particularly when it comes to a life as well and fully lived as that of Prince Buthelezi.

The Democratic Alliance and our predecessors are proud of our long association with Prince Buthelezi. He enjoyed endearing friendships with many people, from Ray Swart and Harry Schwartz to Helen Suzman, Colin Eglin and Tony Leon. He was a man of impeccable manners and great compassion, a man who could sit with royalty, prime Ministers and presidents but retained a humbleness about the common man whose plight he felt so deeply. He was also a man of deep faith who drew strongly on his Anglican faith and the trials, tribulations and tragedies that characterised his private and professional life. It was also a great source of comfort when he lost his beloved Princess Irene.

In later years, he came to fill the role of an elder statesman, and even when the health would fail him, he would still participate well into his sixth term as a member of this House.

Today we say thank you for the life of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. On behalf of the Democratic Alliance, we extend our condolences to his family and friends. Wepray for comfort and healing, and we thank you for sharing him with the nation. To his beloved IFP, we extend our sympathies on the passing of your president emeritus. To the leader and members of the IFP, we hope that you will carry his memory as a lodestar into the future. Bulawayo may you continue to draw wisdom from as many lessons and inspirations.

I have no doubt today that those windswept grasslands of the Mahlabathini plains whisper his Isithakezelo - Shenge, in tribute to this great son of its soil. I conclude fittingly with the words uttered by Horatio in Shakespeare's Hamlet, a favourite of the Prince, and I quote: 'Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.'

Welook forward to working with the IFP to find an appropriate way to honour the prince in his home province of Kwazulu- Natal.

Dr MQNDLOZI: House Chairperson, we take this opportunity to join in the condolence motion on the passing of the Prince of Phindangene, the hon Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, the IFP, the Zulu people and South Africa as a whole. Indeed, the prince sat in these Chambers from 1994, when the first democratic Parliament was constituted and served the people of this country even as a Cabinet member under President Mandela. He operated majority of his life under difficult years of apartheid. We consider him to have formed part of an important generation of black leaders who were confronted by a very difficult hour in the history of black emancipation playing a crucial role in peace and political stability alongside Mandela, Mbeki and Zuma. We must underscore this because IFP and ANC in those days unleashed unspeakable forms of violence against each other, contesting on the direction of our country. Over 30 000 people died on both sides. Ideologically, the differences are on record even we in the red overalls have had our own disagreements together with the prince as well as his party. However, we refuse to talk about this history as if we have not had 30 years of hindsight, which allows us to re-evaluate the true nature of our liberation. We refuse to be victims of ANC propaganda and dominant historic narrative. We must ask ourselves a simple question. How is it that many black political parties had violent confrontations with the ANC before the collapse of apartheid, particularly in the 80s? Who can forget the killings and brutality that characterise confrontations of Azapo and United Democratic Front, UDF, supporters in Soweto, violence that often-involved gangsters? Who can forget the violence involving torture of homes and rape? The same occurred in Zamdela in Sharpeville in the 1990s, the biggest horrors of political violence were of self- defence units belonging to the ANC that terrorised communities and each other including gang rapes, kidnapping and necklacing. Therefore, you can disagree all you do, politically and ideologically with the great prince or the IFP,