Jailed king’s wishes not heeded at family indaba

DESPITE King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo’s last wish minutes before being jailed that his wife, Queen Nokwanda Dalindyebo, become acting king, his family have decided otherwise.

The queen’s name did not emerge from a meeting at the weekend of the house of the king’s late father, King Sabata Dalindyebo, at Mthatha Garden Court on Friday.

The meeting discussed names of candidates to act as king while Dalindyebo serves out his 12-year term.

The king’s siblings as well as his two wives nominated only the king’s son, Prince Azenathi, and the king’s brother, Prince Mthandeni, as the main contenders for the throne.

“Nobody nominated Queen Nokwanda,” a royal family source said.

“Only Azenathi and Mthandeni were nominated. Both the names were scrutinised according to AbaThembu customary practices.”

Queen Noluntu Dalindyebo and Azenathi’s mother, Queen Nocollege Dalindyebo, who is also a judge in the Mthatha High Court known as Buyiswa Majiki, were at the meeting. Queen Nokwanda was not there. Not all the king’s siblings attended. Absent were Patrick Dalindyebo, who works for Umhlobo Wenene FM, and Ndileka Dalindyebo-Dlamini, who is married to a Swazi.

Mthandeni did not attend but his wife and daughter were present.

The meeting was chaired by a senior national Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs official. There was no official comment. The AmaDlomo clan met a week ago, when feuding groupings of the AbaThembu royal family united to discuss the candidates.

The family’s decision on Friday will go to a bigger meeting soon.

Correctional Services provincial spokesman Zama Feni said the ailing king was still in hospital.