Dear friends and fellow South Africans,

Last Friday, as I was preparing to host a dinner for the Archbishop of Cape
Town in Ulundi, I was reached with the news that Dr Fredrick van Zyl
Slabbert had passed away. It came as a double blow, for I had just heard
that my cousin had died and I was about to leave to pay my respects to my
family.

I am no stranger to walking in the valley of the shadow of death. But with
each friend and loved one that passes I am left with a sense of deep sorrow.
Having been granted such good health and such a long life, it has been my
lot to outlive many people who seemed an irreplaceable part of my life.

I knew Dr van Zyl Slabbert well and bore the greatest respect for his
incisive intelligence and distinguished career. But I also marveled at his
integrity and that, perhaps more than anything else, drew me to him as a
kindred spirit. He was a gentleman through and through, and one of the few
people I have seen walking the corridors of politics and living his entire
life by principle.

I first met Dr van Zyl Slabbert when he was a young lecturer at Stellenbosch
University. Some decades ago, there was a study group called Synthesis in
which I was invited to participate. It had a few businessmen and
intellectuals, such as Dr van Zyl Slabbert. We would meet and discuss
current affairs. This was in the dark days of Apartheid in the seventies. I
was struck even then by his sharp intellect and humility.

We became good friends, to the extent that when he was elected as the Leader
of the Progressive Federal Party he would address some of Inkatha's
conferences in Ulundi. We participated in many protest meetings in Durban
and Johannesburg with members of our two organisations.

The government at the time released a transcript of a private conversation
which Dr van Zyl Slabbert had with the then Prime Minister PW Botha, in
which he was quoted as saying "He thinks he is the only bull in the kraal".
But even this did not affect our good relations and the genuine friendship
which we kept to the end of his illustrious life.

A 1985 cartoon of the two of us by Jock Leyden of "The Daily News" sums up
the kind of relationship that we enjoyed in the liberation struggle.

Being a true democrat, Dr van Zyl Slabbert never bowed to intimidation. His
principles were strong enough to ensure that he feared no one and expected
nothing from anyone. It is for this reason that when, as the Minister of
Home Affairs, I sought to redraft the Electoral Act, I appointed Dr van Zyl
Slabbert as the Chairman of the Commission, which then took his name.

The van Zyl Slabbert Commission brought together some of the best domestic
and international minds. They were a group of genuine democrats drawn from
across the political spectrum, because I recognized that the Electoral Act
is the contract between the politicians and the people, and thus cannot be
written by the politicians alone.

The van Zyl Slabbert Commission recognized that the present electoral system
lacks accountability and proposed a system akin to the Local Government
model, which combines constituencies and proportional representation.
Cabinet rejected the Commission's recommendations, but committed itself to
implement them at a later stage.

It would be a fine tribute to his legacy if the urgency of implementing the
van Zyl Slabbert Commission's recommendations were rekindled at this point.
While the messages of praise and condolence that poured in from politicians
after his death were all well-deserved, a greater sign of respect for the
contribution Dr van Zyl Slabbert made would be heeding his well-considered
advice.

Dr van Zyl Slabbert was also heavily involved in the process which produced
the Immigration Bill which I piloted through Parliament. I shall never
forget the great and decorous presence with which he hosted the first
international migration conference ever held in South Africa. The many
participants from all over the world who came to Cape Town enjoyed the
unexpected boon of being entertained at a function at the Castle of Good
Hope.

That was ten years ago. Both before and since, I have attended more
conferences than I could ever mention in which Dr van Zyl Slabbert made the
most incisive inputs. He had the capacity of getting to the core of the
issue and of speaking bluntly and strongly. The country will sorely miss his
contribution and I shall forever mourn such an honest and noble friend.

Throughout almost sixty years in politics and public life I have come to
appreciate the need to take moments to surround myself with men and women
who share my faith. In many ways, I am continuously in the heat of battle.
The people who pray for me are my treasured armour bearers.

I was therefore particularly grateful, having just endured the news of two
deaths, to spend some time with the bishops and archdeacons of the Anglican
Church of Southern Africa as we welcomed our Metropolitan, the Most Reverend
Archbishop Makgoba, during his visitation to Ulundi this weekend.

In May of 2006, our Archbishop's predecessor, the Most Reverend Njongonkulu
Ndungane, conferred on me the Church's highest provincial award for
distinguished lay service. The support of my Church gave me considerable
encouragement then, for it came at a difficult point in my life.

Under my leadership, the Executive of our Party had just convened a Special
General Conference to gain the collegial wisdom of our members as to whether
I should continue to lead the IFP. Even though I had been unanimously
re-elected by a General Conference just two years previously, there was
great debate outside our Party and in the media about whether I should
continue to lead.

It would have been reasonable and appropriate for me to ignore the debate
and be guided by the mandate of my supporters. But I have never placed my
own interests above the interests of the country, and I felt we should fully
consider what would be best for South Africa. Our Special Conference ended
with another unanimous request that I continue to lead the IFP.

Now, four years later, the IFP again faces an elective General Conference
and there is much speculation in the media and outside our Party about its
future leadership. But this time there are also rumblings from within our
Party and there have been clear indications that ambition is fuelling a
succession debate.

I am quite ready to have that talk. As I told my Party in 2004, I would
willingly exit politics if I no longer had a mandate to lead and if my
departure were in the best interests of our country. It gives me great
comfort to know that, in the end, God will determine how I spend the
remaining years of my life. My faith has always given me the strength to
persevere in times of turmoil.

I was humbled on Sunday to hear this sentiment expressed by the Bishop of
Zululand, the Right Reverend Dino Gabriel, who honoured my contribution to
liberation, democracy and the fight against HIV/Aids by conferring upon me
the Order of Saint Michael and All Angels.

This was an unexpected honour for which I am deeply grateful. I have found,
once again, that spending time with men and women who share my faith has
lifted my spirits and inspired me to keep working and keep serving this
nation. We may have removed any mention of God from our Constitution, but He
remains at the centre of human destiny.

Who am I then to question why the great patriot, Dr Fredrick van Zyl
Slabbert, has departed this earth while I still plough on? He made a
contribution worth many lifetimes. It seems, I have yet to finish mine.

Yours in the service of the nation,

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP