King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.
Felix Dlangamandla, Netwerk24
- The monarch says he wants to rule himself, adding that he will not emulate “turtles and beetles”.
- King Dalindyebo likened politicians to beetles and skunks, adding that the time of praising wild cats disguised as domestic cats was over.
- Dalindyebo also promised the ANC that he would never be the same enemy he was to the party before going to prison.
AbaThembu King Buyelakhaya Dalindyebo does not like the idea of being ruled by a president or a premier.
He made this statement during a funeral of AbeThembu chief Sandile Mgudlwa in Ngcobo on the weekend.
Mgudlwa died and was buried in July, but no service was held at the time due to Covid-19 regulations.
Delivering an address in front of about 50 mourners, the monarch said he wanted to rule himself because he did not want to “emulate turtles and beetles”.
Among the mourners was Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Xoli Nqatha.
Directing his statement to Nqatha, Dlaindyebo said: “At some point, I fought so I could rule my own nation Mkabayi [Nqatha’s clan name], tired of being ruled. I don’t like being ruled by presidents and premiers, I want to rule myself. I hate being ruled. Being ruled is not important.”
READ | ‘ANC is a devil’s fart’ – King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo on tender corruption scandal
The funeral was streamed live on Ngcobo Local Municipality’s Facebook page.
“BaThembu, if you are going to leave your future in the hands of witches and thieves, rest assured you will eat witchcraft and fight among each other,” said Dalindyebo.
He also called on “his nation” to stick together, now more than ever in the time of the pandemic. “In order to defeat this pandemic, we have to love one another and shield each other’s backs.”
Dalindyebo also made a promise to the ANC, saying he woould never be the same enemy he had been to the party before going to prison.
“I would be mad to be the enemy of the ANC, I was before”.
Before going to prison, Dalindyebo was a big critic of the ANC under Jacob Zuma’s tenure, and had even dumped the party for the DA.
‘Wild cats, disguised as domestic cats’
But the DA later terminated his membership after he was sent to prison for assault with intent to do grivous bodily harm, kidnapping, defeating the ends of justice, and arson.
At the funeral, Dalindyebo added: “I am not here to fight a war of fools or emulate ooqongqothwane nama fudo [ beetles and turtles].”
“The time of praising beetles, skunks and wild cats, disguised as domestic cats, is over,” he shouted.
This was met by rapturous applause.
He also gave Nqatha six months to act on alleged corrupt councillors in municipalities under his jurisdiction, or face action.
Nqatha’s spokesperson Makhaya Komisa declined to comment.
Dalindyebo was speaking at the same funeral in which he called the ANC “a devil’s fart”.
Responses from the Eastern Cape premier’s spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha and the Presidency’s spokesperson Tyrone Seale will be added once received.
