Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the President of the Inkatha Freedom Party, has said in the last few minutes that the resignation of eleven ministers, including the Deputy- President and the Finance Minister, has disturbingly demonstrated that the decision to recall President Mbeki by the ANC was made in "indecent haste", was "ill-conceived and ham-fistedly handled", and can only serve to further erode the political stability of SA.

Prince Buthelezi paid tribute to the courage of the Ministers who had resigned and described today's events as "an unmitigated disaster "and as "a watershed moment" in the history of the country's democracy.

Statement issued by Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP, President of the Inkatha Freedom Party, September 23 2008