Meeting Prince Buthelezi

Head Pastor of organization at mic, Michael Cassidy behind, Prince on far right

Today we had an incredible opportunity to be able to meet Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi who is President of the Inkatha Freedom Party and just under the Zulu King. Let me explain some background information on African Enterprise. Azusa Pacific University’s campus is partnered with the African Enterprise campus and therefore daily there are new groups going in and out of the area. If you google Africa Enterprise, you can begin to understand how important of a place this was during the Apartheid and how important Christian leaders from that time period were from African Enterprise. I could write a paper on the importance of African Enterprises so in short I will leave it at that this is still a well known place where conferences go in and out of and it is famously known as a place of reconciliation. One of the “big names” of AE is Michael Cassidy who if you ALSO google will begin to realize how important of a Christian man he has been. He is most famously known for putting together a prayer conference around the time of the 1994 election which should have been very violent and very eventful, but through a miracle (which many connect to Michael Cassidy’s prayer conference) it was a peaceful turn of power. Michael Cassidy is a completely humble man who is the retired CEO of AE and last week came and spoke with us. All of this background information leads up to that today there was a large conference held on campus with the “Christians for Peace in Africa”. This organization was bringing delegates and journalists from all over the country of Africa. Unfortunately, due to government tensions, about 40 delegates could not get a visa to get into South Africa. Yesterday Gloria one of the staff informed us that the Zulu prince would be coming today to make a guest appearance for a speech. At the time we were told we would be unable to see him so I joked with my parents last night of hiding in the bushes. However, today, a few of us went up to Michael Cassidy who we had met last week and asked if we would be able to fill the seats of the delegates who were unable to attend to be able to listen to his speech. He agreed, helped us work with our professors to get us out of class from 4:30-6:30 and I was able (alongside of many classmates) to go hear, meet, and see the Prince Buthelezi. 

Prince at mic, Michael Cassidy sitting on right

            This experience was far more important then I could have imagined. When we entered the women began chanting a song in Zulu which was a call and response song. Everyone rose and we waited as he was greeted. I was in the third row away from him, he was a short man with gray hair who barely peered over the microphone, someone said he is 81 years old. We were each given a copy of his speech, which I hope to share with anyone in the future, but the important part was understanding how important his role in the Apartheid was, he worked closely with Mandela however with a Christian stance. His Christian stance is very against violence, being that he has direct Zulu descent (which are famously known as warriors) and his stand to not use violence has created him as a politician who has been pushed to the side. Much of his story has been turned around by media, and he his hated by many in South Africa. At the end of his speech, they gave time for an open mic specifically where people could make comments and ask questions (this was specifically geared towards us college students). Many people from Africa talked about the lies that they knew of this man and how changed they felt after his talk. I wish I could write what his speech was like but it is hard to articulate. It was heart felt, he obviously has experienced many hardships, he has suffered with his people through the apartheid and he has been brought out of that time by being hated by his own people for trying to make peaceful decisions. Looking into his eyes, you see pain. He is a humble man, one that takes no credit for the amazing things he has done. He was gracious, kind and took time to talk to us and shake our hands afterwards. He was a man of VERY high stature, guards and the whole deal, however, his guards were not pushy, in the room but not even next to him. 

APU group with Prince in middle

            Two things to send home was a question asked by one of our students. She asked how as Americans can we assist South Africa. His response was in two ways. His first was in prayer for leaders. He went onto explain that there is still a lot of problems in South Africa, but more specifically violence all over the world. He told us how important prayer is to the South Africans after the prayer conference. The prince also went on to explain how tragic AIDS and HIV is in South Africa and Africa as a whole. He personally has lost two children to it, but he explained that compared to other families that is barely any. He ended with saying his favorite verse in Zulu and English, “Be still, know that I am God.” I don’t know if I could still find God in situations he has been through, and got a taste of what forgiveness, reconciliation and grace means.