Don’t drink, dad tells new AbaThembu king

[caption id="attachment_103790" align="alignright" width="300"] ROYAL HANDOVER: AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo and his son Azenathi Zanelizwe Dalindyebo after he was nominated to take over from him. Picture: LULAMILE FENI[/caption]

WITH the prospect of jail time hanging over his head, AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo had some sober advice for his 23year-old son and successor, Azenathi.

“Do not smoke dagga, do not abuse alcohol and politics are not for royals,” Dalindyebo told his son.

At Bumbane Great Place near Mthatha, Dalindyebo urged his son rather to associate himself with the church and focus his energies on empowering himself through education “so as to develop our nation”.

The controversial 50-yearold king’s prospects of remaining a free man hang by a thread after he was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Supreme Court of Appeals last week.

Dalindyebo, who has ruled since 1992, has agreed to step down and allow his son to take the throne, although he has confirmed he will appeal to the Constitutional Court.

AmaDlomo royal clan members resolved on Sunday to nominate Azenathi, a third-year University of Free State student, as his father’s successor.

AbaThembu traditional leaders will be informed of the resolution tomorrow and a mass meeting will be held on Sunday.

Following these processes, the royal family will write to President Jacob Zuma to recognise Azenathi and issue a certificate of recognition if satisfied that all due processes were followed.

Dalindyebo has on many occasions admitted publicly to smoking dagga, saying he was a Rastafarian.

He has also previously described himself as a casual drinker.

But he has been recorded cautioning his subjects against dagga, saying “you must leave that to Zwelibanzi [Dalindyebo’s praise name]”.

He told Azenathi, seated next to him at the weekend, that leading the AbaThembu nation was not child’s play.

“My son, this is a huge responsibility to lead such a big nation. You will need the wisdom of Solomon and the love of Jesus,” he said.

“Focus your energies on the development of the AbaThembu, education, and uniting AmaDlomo.

“Lead my forefather’s people with respect, humility and dignity and never bring the throne into disrepute.

“Alcohol is a destroyer . . . of families [and is the biggest] contributor to crime and moral degeneration.”

With four wives and 10 children – five sons and five daughters – Dalindyebo urged his children to focus on education. His fifth wife died in 2012. Azenathi is his eldest son from his first wife, high court judge Buyiswa Majiki.

She is known among the Dalindyebos as Queen Nocollege Dalindyebo.

Dalindyebo was 27 when he ascended to the throne in 1986.

Azenathi said his nomination had come as a surprise.

“I was not ready to lead the nation because my father is still energetic,” he said.

“I never thought I would be approached to occupy his big shoes at this stage.

“While I would say I was not ready to ascend to the throne, nobody could 100% say that he was ready for such a huge responsibility.

“I will need guidance from the elders.”

A meeting on Sunday resolved that traditional leaders and all AbaThembu make voluntary financial contributions towards the Constitutional Court appeal.

Dalindyebo has only a week before he must report to prison.

The Royal Family of the Kingdom of AbaThembu, a faction of the AmaDlomo royal clan, said yesterday they did not recognise Azenathi’s nomination as there was not a “full mandate”. -Lulamile Feni