Buthelezi hailed for revealing that daughter died of Aids
August 09, 2004 Edition 1
Thobani Ngqulunga
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has spoken of his great regret at having spent so little time with his children, two of whom he lost to HIV/Aids this year.
Sharing his pain with the rest of the country, Buthelezi said at the weekend that he wished he had spent more time with his daughter Mandisi (48).
Speaking at her funeral on Saturday, he said:
"I cannot stop thinking about Mandisi, thinking about the few precious moments we spent together - and the many others we spent apart because of commitment in politics and the public service."
Earlier this year he also lost his son Nelisuzulu Buthelezi to Aids. The public acknowledgement of the disease that killed his children has earned Buthelezi praise from HIV/Aids organisations.
The Treatment Action Campaign yesterday sent its condolences to the family. TAC spokesperson Sipho Mthathi said: "We hope that South Africans have now learned that HIV/Aids is not a disease that affects only the poor, but affects everyone. We hope the government will speed up the rollout of anti-retroviral drugs."
Mazwi Mngadi, provincial co-ordinator of the National Association of People Living with Aids, said: "It is encouraging to see a leader like Buthelezi coming out to reveal the cause of death of his daughter."
Mandisi left an 8-year-old son Zamokuhle, her two parents, two sisters and two brothers.
