Traditional leaders, scholars, activists and opposition parties gathered at the East London Guild Theatre to talk about the relevance of traditional institutions and kingships in democratic South Africa.
The dominant voice from the gathering was that the state seemed to ignore the authority of the kingships.
Azapo national chair Nelvis Qekema said the arrest of the AbaThembu King Buyelekaya Dalindyebo was an arrest of the AbaThembu people.
“As things stand, the African people are still foreigners in their own land,” Qekema said.
“Our traditions are still foreign in our land. We must still beg to be recognised, beg for our law to rule over us and to be given the right to have a king.”
A panel assembled by the lobby group AmaBhele kaMabandla youth included National Heritage Council CEO advocate Sonwabile Mancotywa, ANC Youth League presidential hopeful Mcebo Dlamini and Contralesa secretary Xolani Mkiva.
AbaThembu Chief Patekile Holomisa debated at length the meaning of the king’s incarceration in relation to the people.
The AbaThembu king is serving his 34th month of a 12-year sentence in the East London Correction Centre.
In 2009, the Eastern Cape high court sentenced the king to an effective 15 years for culpable homicide, seven counts of kidnapping, three of assault, three of arson, and defeating the ends of justice.
The trial, which dragged on for five years, saw the king change lawyers 11 times and there were 34 postponements.
Eventually in 2015, he succeeded in getting three years shaved off his sentence.
However, calls for president Cyril Ramaposa to grant a presidential pardon have not succeeded.
AmaBhele kaMabandla’s Sizwe Mabandla said the jailing of the king had created a need for a review of the role of kingships in the country.
“We continue to call for the release of the king but the country must take lessons from this experience and maybe this will force a rethink about the role of traditional authority,” Mabandla said...