The Resignation of Tony  Leon - Statement of  Mangosuthu Buthelezi

November 26, 2006

I would like to express my admiration for how Mr Tony Leon conducted himself as leader of first, the Democratic Party and later of the Democratic Alliance and the Official Opposition. His departure will leave a considerable gap in our parliament and public life at a difficult time for our country.

I am proud to call Mr Leon a friend as well as a political colleague.
Whatever one thought of Mr Leon's acerbic and robust style of opposition, as I pointed out in the state of the nation debate in 2002, there is no doubt that he is a staunch patriot to the tips of his fingers.

We rarely differed on substance and on what needed to be done to take South Africa forward. I am sure that it was his iron determination and inexhaustible ideas and verve which drove his party's considerable growth since 1994.

I consider Mr Leon a first-rate public speaker of the Westminster kind and one of the great parliamentarians of our time.

He has a supple ability to marshal words and ideas to sustain his case and then use them to devastating effect against his political opponents; and that, importantly, is how he saw those on the opposing benches: as opponents, not enemies.

I have no doubt that Mr Leon's success will be measured by the fact that his steadfast championing of our liberal democratic constitution and the ideals that are captured in our Bill of Rights will prevail long after his tenure of leader of the opposition expires.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP