Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo

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Buyelekhaya Zwelinbanzi Dalindyebo ka Sabata (born 5 April 1964), praise name Zwelibanzi, is a king of the abaThembu people of South Africa.[1][2] Dalindyebo is the son of the previous king, Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, a descendant of the amaHala dynasty, and ruler of the current bakwaDalindyebo lineage.

Controversies[]

In May 2005, Dalindyebo was indicted for fraud, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and arson at the Mthatha High Court, and was subsequently convicted. In 2013, while he was appealing, the Democratic Alliance of South Africa recruited Dalindyebo into the party. It is surmised that he was chosen because he could bring votes to the DA in the Eastern Cape province.[3]

In July 2014, a group of Thembu chiefs wrote to President of South Africa Jacob Zuma requesting that Dalindyebo be removed, claiming he was an "evil king" and "not fit to rule".[4]

In October 2015, Dalindyebo was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and his membership in the DA was terminated.[5][6] In December 2015, as Dalindyebo was due to start serving his sentence, he made last-minute efforts to avoid incarceration by petitioning Zuma for a presidential pardon.[7] The petition was dismissed at the end of December, and he was incarcerated on 30 December 2015.[8] A second bid for a presidential pardon was apparently launched in early 2016.[9] In January 2016 there were reports that Dalindyebo had been on a hunger strike.[10] Dalindyebo spent much of his first couple of months of imprisonment in the hospital.[11]

On 23 December 2019, following president Cyril Ramaphosa's Day of Reconciliation speech, Dalindyebo was released from prison after serving a third of his sentence.[12]

On 13 March 2020, Dalindyebo was arrested for assault. According to reports in local newspapers, the king arrived at the royal residence, the Great Place, at 2 a.m. on the morning of 13 March carrying an axe. He then allegedly proceeded to attack the current acting king, Azenathi, and his wife, who was later hospitalised. In an attempt to escape, Azenathi reportedly jumped out of the window of the palace.[13]

In the runup to the 2021 South African municipal elections, Dalindyebo received a cow and was promised a Mercedes-Benz SUV by the Economic Freedom Fighters, after which he announced his support for the party and called on the nation to do the same.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "South African traditional states". Worldstatesmen.org. Cahoon, Ben. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  2. ^ Soszynski, Henry. "abaThembu". Genealogical Gleanings. University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  3. ^ "Redirecting..." www.rdm.co.za. Retrieved 2018-10-19. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  4. ^ "AbaThembu royal family want 'evil' King Dalindyebo out". City Press. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Redirecting..." www.bdlive.co.za. Retrieved 2018-10-19. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-10-04. Retrieved 2015-10-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-12-25. Retrieved 2015-12-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Masutha dismisses King's petition | IOL News". Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  9. ^ "Zuma refers bid to free Dalindyebo to Justice Minister". Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  10. ^ Sesant, Siyabonga. "Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo breaks hunger strike". Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  11. ^ "King Dalindyebo back in prison after hospital stay". News24. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  12. ^ Mabuza, Ernest (23 December 2019). "King Dalindyebo released after serving third of sentence: justice department". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  13. ^ Ngcukana, Lubabalo. "King Dalindyebo arrested after causing chaos at the Great Place". News24. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  14. ^ Dayimani, Malibongwe. "'Ignore King Dalindyebo'- ANC accuses monarch of selling out his nation for EFF's gifts". News24. Retrieved 2021-10-25.


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