Jailed king stripped naked and left in cell for three days

Jailed AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo was left naked for three days after he was strip-searched and had his civilian clothing confiscated by prison guards.

Saturday Dispatch can reveal that Dalindyebo was then locked in his single cell with the orange prisoners’ uniform which he refused to wear in protest.

This happened on Saturday last week, with the monarch remaining only in his underwear, and it was only on Tuesday that the prison authorities gave in and brought back his civilian clothing.

But Dalindyebo has remained on a hunger strike since his re-incarceration on February 25, having spent 40 days at an East London private hospital.

As a result of his intransigence, the king has had his “privileges” withdrawn including family visits, cigarettes, access to the shower and exercise.

This means he did not have a bath for at least three days before he took ill again and was taken to the prison hospital on Wednesday – where he has remained ever since.

The latest events come as the prison authorities continue with their hardline approach towards the king who is serving a 12-year jail sentence for assault, kidnapping and arson.

A reliable source within Correctional Services told the Dispatch that, on Saturday, prison guards raided the king’s cell and ordered him to strip.

“They wanted a way to make him take his clothes off so that he could wear the prison clothes. So they told him they were there to search him for contraband,” said the source.

On Sunday night Eastern Cape correctional services commissioner Nkosinathi Breakfast paid Dalindyebo a visit in his cell where he asked him to put on the prison uniform. But the king would not budge.

Said Breakfast yesterday: “Do not call it a meeting because there were no minutes taken.

“I went to consult with him because it is my responsibility to assist management at the centre and handle any misunderstanding and ensure that there is compliance within the centre.”

Correctional Services national spokesman Manelisi Wolela said yesterday: “On a daily basis offenders get either upgraded where they access more privileges or downgraded where they lose privileges because of their conduct.”

King Dalindyebo’s spokesman Prince Mthunzi Ngonyama expressed concern over the latest developments.

“We were told by prison officials that if the king refuses to wear prison uniform we will not be allowed to visit him.

“A person in his state of health needs to wear clothing and we are concerned that he was denied access to his clothing.

“We hope that the president (Jacob Zuma) will speed up the pardon application process before it is too late, anything can happen now and we hope the pardon won’t come too late,” said Ngonyama.

He was referring to the petition to Zuma by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), for Dalindyebo to be pardoned. Zuma has referred the request to Justice Minister Michael Masutha for consideration.

Contralesa’s Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana said they had received calls from people inside prison last week reporting that the king was being ill-treated.

“That he was allowed to go days without his clothes on is a matter that we will urgently take up with (Masutha). This goes to prove that the king should not have been in that place since day one because they do not have a facility to rehabilitate him,” said Nonkonyana.

Mthunzi Mhaga of the Justice Ministry said: “We are still considering the application to pardon the king and a decision has not yet been made.

“Nothing has changed”.