A Voice for Compromise

Despite his acceptance of the need for compromise, Buthelezi is by no means Pretoria's pawn. He has threatened force if necessary to resist the white government's efforts to grant KwaZulu "independence," a move that would deprive the Zulus of their South African citizenship as well as of a nationwide political role. In 1981 he refused a government offer to build an administration building for KwaZulu in Ulundi, the capital, fearing that acceptance would indebt him to Pretoria. Instead, the homeland saved $18 million from tax revenues and constructed a building adorned with murals and carved wooden doors that is widely viewed as one of the most elegant structures in South Africa.

More recently, Buthelezi canceled an invitation to Botha to visit KwaZulu after the President reiterated that he would not endorse Buthelezi's proposal for a federation. Botha reportedly was miffed, but Buthelezi seemed undaunted. "The forces demanding the politics of negotiation are mounting," he says. "Sooner or later the politics of negotiation will become a reality."