CONTROVERSIAL AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo has approached the courts to interdict President Jacob Zuma from dethroning him.
Dalindyebo was responding to a letter from Zuma sent last month. In the letter, Zuma gave the king 30 days to give reasons why he should not be dethroned. The king’s deadline to respond to Zuma’s letter is tomorrow.
Yesterday, in a dramatic turn of events, Dalindyebo’s legal team filed papers in the Mthatha High Court for an urgent hearing on the matter.
In the papers Dalindyebo said the court interdict was necessary because Zuma had followed incorrect procedures in attempting to dethrone him.
Dalindyebo’s attorney wrote to Zuma on August 4 saying he should respond by August 11 or legal action would be taken.
“The bottom line is that no decision of the royal family has ever been taken to remove me,” the monarch said in his court application, adding that the request to remove him had come from a “concerned group” that did not constitute the royal family. His earlier letter said Zuma’s threat to withdraw the certificate of recognition from Dalindyebo and the ultimatum are “bad law and ought to be withdrawn”.
“The president does not possess the power to remove a king. A king can only be removed by the royal family, after which the president is only empowered to withdraw the recognition certificate,” it reads.
Attached to the king’s court papers are affidavits from people listed earlier as wanting him out, but who now deny wanting the king ousted.
Among them is Bhekizulu Mnqanqeni, who said he did not even want to hear about the king’s removal. “The king cannot be removed. That would dilute our lineage.”
In his affidavit, Dalindyebo claims Zuma’s attempts to dethrone him are based on “ulterior and improper motives”.
“In 2013, I decided to relinquish my long-standing membership of the ruling party (ANC) and joined the official opposition (DA). This obviously did not go down well with the members of the ANC, including . The ANC clearly and repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction ... No steps aimed at my removal were ever taken by when I was still a member of his party, notwithstanding the fact that he had received the ‘complaints’ as long ago as 2012.”
Dalindyebo also took a swipe at Zuma’s alleged tribal bias.
“Other kings in similar status as me, notably the Zulu king, to whom he owes allegiance, is treated favourably in relation to all other kings in the country and the Zulu king receives millions of rands of taxpayers’ money – far more than me or any other king or queen,” Dalindyebo said.
He warned that a “violent split of the AbaThembu nation” was a real possibility that would have “disastrous consequences”.
“This matter is one that resonates deeply on the emotional level with the communities, especially given the history of how my father, the late King Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo was dethroned by the Bantustan regime of Matanzima.”
Dalindyebo’s application is to be heard on September2. His legal team said Zuma and the other respondents – Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Pravin Gordhan and his provincial counterpart MEC Fikile Xasa, royal family Thanduxolo Mtirara and the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Phumulo Masualle – should indicate by August25 if they would oppose.
JZ’s royal row heads to court
Dalindyebo was responding to a letter from Zuma sent last month. In the letter, Zuma gave the king 30 days to give reasons why he should not be dethroned. The king’s deadline to respond to Zuma’s letter is tomorrow.
Yesterday, in a dramatic turn of events, Dalindyebo’s legal team filed papers in the Mthatha High Court for an urgent hearing on the matter.
In the papers Dalindyebo said the court interdict was necessary because Zuma had followed incorrect procedures in attempting to dethrone him.
Dalindyebo’s attorney wrote to Zuma on August 4 saying he should respond by August 11 or legal action would be taken.
“The bottom line is that no decision of the royal family has ever been taken to remove me,” the monarch said in his court application, adding that the request to remove him had come from a “concerned group” that did not constitute the royal family. His earlier letter said Zuma’s threat to withdraw the certificate of recognition from Dalindyebo and the ultimatum are “bad law and ought to be withdrawn”.
“The president does not possess the power to remove a king. A king can only be removed by the royal family, after which the president is only empowered to withdraw the recognition certificate,” it reads.
Attached to the king’s court papers are affidavits from people listed earlier as wanting him out, but who now deny wanting the king ousted.
Among them is Bhekizulu Mnqanqeni, who said he did not even want to hear about the king’s removal. “The king cannot be removed. That would dilute our lineage.”
In his affidavit, Dalindyebo claims Zuma’s attempts to dethrone him are based on “ulterior and improper motives”.
“In 2013, I decided to relinquish my long-standing membership of the ruling party (ANC) and joined the official opposition (DA). This obviously did not go down well with the members of the ANC, including . The ANC clearly and repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction ... No steps aimed at my removal were ever taken by when I was still a member of his party, notwithstanding the fact that he had received the ‘complaints’ as long ago as 2012.”
Dalindyebo also took a swipe at Zuma’s alleged tribal bias.
“Other kings in similar status as me, notably the Zulu king, to whom he owes allegiance, is treated favourably in relation to all other kings in the country and the Zulu king receives millions of rands of taxpayers’ money – far more than me or any other king or queen,” Dalindyebo said.
He warned that a “violent split of the AbaThembu nation” was a real possibility that would have “disastrous consequences”.
“This matter is one that resonates deeply on the emotional level with the communities, especially given the history of how my father, the late King Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo was dethroned by the Bantustan regime of Matanzima.”
Dalindyebo’s application is to be heard on September2. His legal team said Zuma and the other respondents – Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Pravin Gordhan and his provincial counterpart MEC Fikile Xasa, royal family Thanduxolo Mtirara and the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Phumulo Masualle – should indicate by August25 if they would oppose.
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