AbaThembu King Buyelkhaya Dalindyebo will not attend the funeral of his wife Queen Nolitha Dalindyebo on Saturday.
The royal family confirmed the king would not attend due to his current incarceration.
Dalindyebo is serving a 12-year jail term after being found guilty for a number of violent offences including attempted murder.
The queen died on August 10 following a short illness. She will, however, not be buried at Dalindyebo’s Bumbane Great Place. Instead the funeral and burial will take place at her home in Qhumanco near Cofimvaba.
Correctional services provincial commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast said the monarch would not be given permission to attend the burial of his wife but declined to give reasons why.
Instead, a high powered royal family delegation will attend the funeral on behalf of the king, the queen’s in-laws and the nation.
Dalindyebo’s spokesman Mthunzi Ngonyama said royal family members had visited the queen’s parents home to convey their condolences and prepare for the funeral.
He said if the king were to attend the funeral handcuffed and escorted by armed police and prison officials, it would deflect attention from the funeral.
“The attention would shift to him and disrupt the proceeding and concentration on the funeral itself,” said Ngonyama.
Ngonyama said one reason that the queen was not being buried at Bumbane was due to “instability” in the royal family.
“In fact everybody knows the situation of Bumbane currently and also that the king is not at home but in prison.”
Speaking for AmaDlomo and the royal family, Chief Thandisizwe Mtirara said while the king and AmaDlomo would like the queen to be buried at Bumbane, “certain situations” meant that she would be buried at her parent’s home.
“The king wanted badly to come and bury his wife and mother of his children,” said Mtirara.
Mtirara’s nephew and fellow royal family member Chief Mfundo Mtirara said it was not unusual for Nolitha to be buried at her parent’s home.
“The legendary Queen Nonesi, the wife of King Ngubencuka, our ancestor, was not buried in Thembuland but at her maiden home in the Mpondoland. There are others,” he said.
Queen Nolitha was born of the Tshawe royal clan in Qhumanco.
Dalindyebo is now left with three wives, Queens Nocollege, Noluntu and Nokwanda. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
AbaThembu King will not attend his wife’s funeral
The royal family confirmed the king would not attend due to his current incarceration.
Dalindyebo is serving a 12-year jail term after being found guilty for a number of violent offences including attempted murder.
The queen died on August 10 following a short illness. She will, however, not be buried at Dalindyebo’s Bumbane Great Place. Instead the funeral and burial will take place at her home in Qhumanco near Cofimvaba.
Correctional services provincial commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast said the monarch would not be given permission to attend the burial of his wife but declined to give reasons why.
Instead, a high powered royal family delegation will attend the funeral on behalf of the king, the queen’s in-laws and the nation.
Dalindyebo’s spokesman Mthunzi Ngonyama said royal family members had visited the queen’s parents home to convey their condolences and prepare for the funeral.
He said if the king were to attend the funeral handcuffed and escorted by armed police and prison officials, it would deflect attention from the funeral.
“The attention would shift to him and disrupt the proceeding and concentration on the funeral itself,” said Ngonyama.
Ngonyama said one reason that the queen was not being buried at Bumbane was due to “instability” in the royal family.
“In fact everybody knows the situation of Bumbane currently and also that the king is not at home but in prison.”
Speaking for AmaDlomo and the royal family, Chief Thandisizwe Mtirara said while the king and AmaDlomo would like the queen to be buried at Bumbane, “certain situations” meant that she would be buried at her parent’s home.
“The king wanted badly to come and bury his wife and mother of his children,” said Mtirara.
Mtirara’s nephew and fellow royal family member Chief Mfundo Mtirara said it was not unusual for Nolitha to be buried at her parent’s home.
“The legendary Queen Nonesi, the wife of King Ngubencuka, our ancestor, was not buried in Thembuland but at her maiden home in the Mpondoland. There are others,” he said.
Queen Nolitha was born of the Tshawe royal clan in Qhumanco.
Dalindyebo is now left with three wives, Queens Nocollege, Noluntu and Nokwanda. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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