How Many Wives Did Mangosuthu Buthelezi Have?

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a significant figure in South African history who founded the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), was married several times. It was typical for Zulu royal families, where he was born in 1928, to have multiple wives.

How Many Wives Did Mangosuthu Buthelezi Have?

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The late Chris Hani speaking about Mangosuthu Buthelezi and the IFP. pic.twitter.com/lSPxxjpvRt

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He was married twice and he had two wives. Princess Magogo wed Mathole Buthelezi, a head of the Buthelezi clan, in 1923. Unbelievably, Mathole Buthelezi had 40 wives. King Solomon intended to resolve the issues with the clan and the royal family, so they got married as part of a plan to make things right.

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In 1952, he wed Princess Irene Audrey Thandekile Mzila, beginning his first and most committed relationship. They were married for more than 60 years before her untimely death in 2019. Buthelezi made the unconventional decision to devote his time to just one woman at a time, despite the fact that it was normal for men in his society to have multiple wives.

Who was Mangosuthu Buthelezi?

Mangosuthu Prince Gatsha Buthelezi was a prince of the Zulu nation and a prominent figure in South Africa. From 1954 until his death in 2023, he had a unique position serving as the Zulu royal family’s standard prime minister.

King Bhekuzulu, the brother of Buthelezi’s mother, Princess Magogo, and the son of King Solomon, gave him this prestigious position. Buthelezi served as the KwaZulu region’s chief minister during the apartheid era. He founded the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in 1975 and served as its leader until 2019. After that, he was named the party’s honorary president. Mangosuthu Buthelezi was descended from a prominent Zulu royal house.

Because she was the sister of King Solomon and the granddaughter of King Cetshwayo, his mother, Princess Magogo, was also well-known. His great-grandpa even served as prime minister when King Cetshwayo was in power, making this family history unique.

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He served as a political figurehead both while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned (from 1964 to 1990) and after apartheid was overthrown. In fact, Mandela appointed him to the critical position of Minister of Home Affairs, which he held from 1994 until 2004.