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| KING BUYELEKHAYA DALINDYEBO |
One of South Africa’s ethnic kings, King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo
of AbaThembu has commenced a jail term of 12 years. The South African Justice Department
spokesperson, Mthunzi Mhaga who confirmed this said the King handed in himself.
King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo a nephew of the late President
Nelson Mandela is serving the prison term for a conviction for kidnapping,
arson and assault. He is reported to have given himself up to the head of the Mthatha
Correctional Centre at 23:40 p.m. on Wednesday after his legal battle to evade
imprisonment was not successful.
The facts of the matter are that the Supreme Court of Appeal
handed down a twelve year jail term to King Dalindyebo for crimes he committed
over twenty years ago when he directed that a woman and her six children be
kidnapped and had their home burnt down. He also ordered the beating up of four
youths leading to the death of one when a relative of theirs failed to put up
an appearance in a traditional court.
In the wake of the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgment, King Dalindyebo
made several attempts to avoid going to jail including going to the
constitutional court and even seeking the intervention of the Justice Minister
Michael Masutha.
King Dalindyebo who was crowned by the AbaThembu ethnic tribe in
1989 would be the first monarch to go to jail in post-apartheid South Africa.
His 23-year-old son Prince Avenathi Dalindyebo is likely to replace him as head
of the about 700,000 member community. However, the tribal Kings only have ceremonial
functions as they represent their ethnic kingdoms and have the power to mediate
in only minor conflicts.
The King a former member of South Africa’s ruling African National
Congress defected in 2003 to the main opposition party Democratic Alliance
where he has severally taken on President Jacob Zuma on accusations of
corruption. He is reported to have in the past sought to have his kingdom separated
from the South Africa republic.
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