By Jabulani Nxumalo (Mzala)
Gatsha Buthelezi: Chief with a Double Agenda was first published in London in 1988. However, it was made unavailable in South Africa due to litigation threats by Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Gatsha Buthelezi operated from within the apartheid system of the South African government.
As Chief Minister of the KwaZulu homeland, he presented himself as a leading opponent of apartheid. At the same time, he resolutely opposed the liberation struggle led by the ANC and its allies.
A complex political figure
Although he preached a doctrine of non-violence, he led the Inkatha movement. This movement faced widespread accusations of using violence against its opponents. In contrast to the worldwide anti-apartheid movement, which called for sanctions against South Africa, Buthelezi toured Western capitals to seek new investments.
Who was this man, and what did he stand for? Whose side was he on? Mzala explored these vital questions through a thorough analysis. He drew on a wide range of materials, including interviews with some of Buthelezi’s contemporaries, to investigate a complex political figure.
[…]Chief with a Double Agenda is not just a book about Buthelezi. It is a book about betrayal, ideology, class collaboration and the dangers of political amnesia. It is about the ways in which colonial and apartheid regimes co-opted segments of the oppressed to maintain power and how those collaborations were rationalised in the language of pragmatism. It is about the limits of reconciliation without justice and the costs of democracy built on silence and expediency.
From the Introduction by Mandla J. Radebe
About the author
Jabulani Nobleman “Mzala” Nxumalo was a South African anti-apartheid activist, intellectual, and author. He held significant importance to the anti-apartheid movement.
In addition, Nxumalo played key roles in the African National Congress (ANC), Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), and the South African Communist Party (SACP) while in exile. During this period, he served liberation movements in Swaziland (now Eswatini), Angola, Mozambique, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom.
During his time in exile, Nxumalo wrote several books. These works, still subject to heavy debate, focused on South African revolutionary theory. He passed away in London, United Kingdom, in 1991 at the age of 35.
Mandla J. Radebe is an Associate Professor for Strategic Communication and Director of the Centre for Data and Digital Communications at the University of Johannesburg.
- DISTRIBUTOR | Jacana Media |
- ISBN | 9781431434473 |
- Recommended Retail Price | R340.00 |
- Classification | History |
