HAMBA KAHLE PRINCE GIDEON ZULU
01 JANUARY 1934 - 16 MAY 2006

Prince Gideon Zulu slipped the coil of this temporal life to be reunited with our ancestors in the early evening of Tuesday 16 May 2006. His passing has left an aching void in my life which will never be assuaged. He was my brother, confidant, colleague and one of my closest friends.

Prince Gideon was born in Nongoma on 1 January 1934 to Prince Myayiza, son of Prince Ndbuko, the full brother of King Cetshwayo. He grew up, as I did, in the King's Royal Palace.

Prince Gideon was educated in Nongoma and Inkamana Roman Catholic school before working as a clerk in the Eshowe Hospital. He was elected as a member of the former KwaZulu Assembly, when I was Chief Minister, and was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare and Pensions under Minister Mac September. He later became the Minister of this Department.

After the first democratic elections in 1994, Prince Gideon served as the Minister of Social Welfare and Population Development until the ANC took power in 2004.

Prince Gideon was a doughty fellow and often paid a heavy price for his loyalty to me. One of my fondest and most poignant memories is picking him up in my car to visit Inkosi Luthuli in the early 1960s. They were heady - and dangerous - times.

Prince Gideon was questioned after I was expelled from Fort Hare University for taking part in an ANC Youth League organised demonstration against the Governor General of South Africa.

When I accompanied the Bishop of Zululand, the Reverend Thomas Savage and Canon Philip Mbatha to attend an Anglican Synod in Canada, Prince Gideon's closeness to me resulted in him being detained in Pietermaritzburg for interrogation by the apartheid police.

When King Cyprian died, Prince Gideon provided considerable support to his successor, King Goodwill Zwelithini. He would come to my home by bus to meet with the Prince and I would drive him back to his home.

I fear that Prince Gideon's closeness to me resulted in him becoming increasingly estranged from the King from the mid nineteen-nineties. Yet, I cannot think of anyone who was more committed to the institution of the monarchy and its integrity than he was.

Prince Gideon's time in the public service was marked by his inner strength, humanity and pride in his cultural heritage. All these qualities were essential prerequisites for making him a truly outstanding welfare minister. He also had a mischievous sense of humour and a marvellous capacity for fellowship.

Now Prince Gideon's sword has fallen. The end came so unexpectedly quickly. But, oh, what a magnificent fight! Hamba kahle, my dear uncle.

Prince Gideon Zulu was married to Princess Winifred Dhlamini "Dolly" and had seven children - two of whom were tragically murdered.