14 Facts About Musa Zondi

Musa Zondi represented KwaZulu-Natal in the National Council of Provinces from 1994 to 1999 and in the National Assembly from 1999 to 2012.

Musa Zondi served as the party's secretary-general and was widely touted as a possible successor to IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi before he resigned from his party office and legislative seat in February 2012.

Musa Zondi joined the Inkatha Youth Brigade in 1976 and served as vice-chairman of the Students Christian Movement at Dlangezwa High School.

Musa Zondi worked at Khulani Holdings, a private company, from 1984 to 1987, when he left to help establish the non-profit Foundation for Leadership Development.

Musa Zondi was elected national chairman of the Inkatha Youth Brigade in 1984.

In South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994, Musa Zondi was elected to represent Inkatha in the KwaZulu-Natal caucus of the Senate.

Musa Zondi continued as an ordinary Member of Parliament and was re-elected to his seat in 2009.

Simultaneously, he served as secretary-general of the party and was considered a frontrunner to succeed Mangosuthu Buthelezi as IFP president; while the party's dissident factions generally preferred Zanele Magwaza-Msibi, Musa Zondi had the support of some of the conservative core that had formerly supported Buthelezi.

In December 2011, Musa Zondi announced that he would not stand for re-election as secretary-general and would instead seek to spend more time with his family.

Musa Zondi's announcement followed rumours that he was having an affair with a married IFP colleague; he said that his IFP rivals had been conducting a smear campaign against him and had even plotted to kill him to remove him from the succession race.

In February 2012, Musa Zondi announced his immediate retirement from frontline politics, resigning from the IFP secretary-general's office and from his legislative seat.

In October 2023, Musa Zondi returned to active politics as he was sworn into the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature for the IFP.

Musa Zondi is married to Mrs Zondi, with whom he has two children.

Musa Zondi is a member of the Lutheran Church and chairs KwaZulu-Natal's Diakonia Council of Churches, in which capacity he has publicly spoken against xenophobia.