South African party criticizes monarch over invitation to Israeli officials

King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo’s actions are a betrayal of the principles of the liberation struggle, the African National Congress has said

The African National Congress (ANC) has criticized South African King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo following his controversial decision to invite officials from the Israeli Embassy to visit public hospitals in the Eastern Cape province. Dalindyebo is the monarch of the AbaThembu people, one of South Africa’s largest traditional communities.

This invitation has sparked outrage, particularly given the ANC’s historical stance against apartheid and its commitment to supporting Palestine in the face of alleged human rights violations.

During a briefing held on Monday after the party’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) Lekgotla, ANC officials expressed their disappointment at the king’s actions, labelling him as having betrayed the principles that his forefathers fought for during South Africa’s Struggle for liberation.

These angry sentiments were echoed by key figures within the party, including provincial chairperson Oscar Mabuyane, provincial secretary general Lulama Ngcukayitobi, and spokesperson Yanga Zicina.

Ngcukayitobi called on the king to reflect on his recent behaviour, saying the king has compromised his people and the entire South African government, whose principled stance is against the human rights violations against the people of Palestine.

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”This is a matter that the AbaThembu tribe must reflect on. It is very concerning because he has betrayed what his father and forefathers stood for and fought for the liberation of the people of South Africa. They fought against apartheid and the Bantustan regime, and his father died in exile in Zambia,” stated Ngcukayitobi.

King Dalindyebo recently defended his invitation, asserting that he has no legal obligations to consult with the South African president or the provincial government regarding his decisions.

In his justification, he positioned the visit as an opportunity for collaboration, dismissing accusations that he was welcoming those responsible for serious human rights violations.

Ngcukayitobi took further issue with the king’s explanations, stating that inviting a delegation from a regime associated with oppression undermines the longstanding, principled stance of the South African government against Israel.

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”We believe that the king was completely out of order for having gone out of his way, without consulting anybody, to invite the worst enemies of the people, presiding over the apartheid state of Israel, who have butchered the people of Palestine and think they can bring clean drinking water for the people of the Eastern Cape,” he added.

In December, the EFF expelled Dalindyebo from the party following his visit to Israel, while last week, Mabuyane said the Israeli embassy breached diplomatic protocol by visiting public institutions without government approval in the Eastern Cape.

Speaking on behalf of the king, Ntando Dalindyebo accused the ANC in the province of having failed the people of the Eastern Cape. She said the king was doing the best he could to help his people, who are suffering service delivery challenges at the hands of the ANC.

Ntando further questioned the timing of the decision by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), which on Friday gave Ariel Seidman, the Charge d’Affaires of the Israeli Embassy, 72 hours to pack and leave the country, thus declaring him an undesirable person.

The king believes that the expulsion of Seidman was an attempt to stop the donation that the Israeli government had promised the people of the Eastern Cape. ”Our people have suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of the ANC. We know how they have treated our people, and the king has made a decision to do what he can for his people, who have been without water for a long time. Therefore, the ANC has no right to hide behind diplomatic laws when it has failed to deliver for the people of Eastern Cape,” she stated.

Regarding the ongoing conflict and its impact on the Palestinian people, Ntando expressed sympathy, stating, “We do feel for the people of Palestine and the lives that have been affected. We have seen what is happening there, and my father, the king, has had many questions about it.

”However, we cannot deny that lives have been taken on both sides. We also recognize that Israel has been supportive of the King and his people. We remain hopeful that the two parties will find common ground at some point.”

First published by IOL