AbaThembu royal family today met at the Bumbane Great place and resolved to remove Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo as King and replace him with his son and acting King Azenathi.
“We, as AmaDlomo, have met at the Bumbane Great Place and we have decided to appoint Azenathi as the new king. We will let advise the government on our decision on Monday,” royal family spokesperson Chief Dumisani Mgudlwa told Times Live.
The meeting was called to resolve the issues between King Dalindyebo and Prince Azenathi, the acting king who has been ruling the AbaThembu since his father was imprisoned for four years for arson, kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice. Dalindyebo was released on parole in December last year.
The meeting was attended by 100 royal family members at the Great Place. The organisers ensuered Covid-19 lockdown regulations are followed as they allowed 50 delegates inside the hall as others followed the proceedings from outside.
Mgudlwa said efforts to find common ground between Buyelekhaya and Azenathi were fruitless and the royal family has decided to eelct a substantive king.
“Today’s imbizo has resolved to remove Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo as king of AbaThembu and replace him with his son Azenathi. The royals are not happy with his behaviour and believe his jail time didn’t rehabilitate him. Many people want to leave the kingdom if Dalindyebo is reinstated as king. We couldn’t allow such to happen,” Mgudlwa said.
The meeting was carried out in a hostile environment with tempers flaring.
A leader in the royal family Chief Mfundo Mtirara arrived at the imbizo late and had to negotiate to be allowed to get inside the hall.
Mandla Mandela, the grandson of the late icon Nelson Mandela has been succeed in the AbaThembu succession politics. He is reported to have arrived a day before the meeting with Dalindyebo and they tried to disrupt the preparations for the meeting but they were denied access.
“They were trying to stop the meeting from taking place, but did not succeed,” Mgudlwa said.
Dalindyebo failed to turn up for the meeting on Friday despite having been invited.
The newly anointed King Azenathi was seen at the Great Place during the meeting and in good spirits but did not talk to the media.
Buyelekhaya once said Azenathi is not his biological son and told all his children to get DNA tests.