Discomfort persists on Thembu king’s undoing

Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo

Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo

Published Jan 21, 2016

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Sandile Dikeni

THERE is no intention to harp on the Thembu king issue. It is just unavoidable. Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo is a Thembu king. I am an Mgcina clan member. I am also, let’s say, an enlightened fellow when it comes to ethnic consciousness. In other words, I am a bit liberal on the entire “tribe thing”.

As a social commentator, I find it difficult to look at the Thembu royalty issue without hindrance. I am bothered. The Thembu, I said last time, are not an issue to ignore. How does one ignore a social entity that gave birth, for instance, to the likes of Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu? This is not name-dropping. It is reality.

The Thembu king is in jail and his people do not know how to deal with it. That means I do not know how to deal with it. It is uncomfortable. Okay, his incarceration does not bother me so much. There are many Thembu lawyers (Madiba was one) who trained and practise in the current legal system in South Africa who understand that the conviction of Dalindyebo is merely a normal application of our criminal legal system. I am cool with that.

The discomfort comes when I consider the Thembu tribe. In the absence of the king who is the Thembu grootbaas? Is his absence something that can be seen as an unwanted normality by the people.

What is the view of the other tribes? (I have heard the Khoisan people demanding, justifiably, more authority.) South Africa, I believe, is a democracy that must deal with these issues. The question that we must ask though is: can she? My discomfort is that I do not know. More, can they? It is uncomfortable for me to deal with the many narrow corners of ethnicity. Ethnicity is not easy sociology. Me saying it is not easy sociology should not be understood as me saying I don’t respect it. I merely wish that the SA society take a close look at the complexities of this unpleasant episode. I can see how many tribes in our state are watching and taking notes on this episode. What are they learning?

What are their readings. Conclusions? I am really concerned that the social academic commentary does not (yet) reveal an essence that makes my bones comfortable.

I am also worried that the Thembu intellectual does not provide an adequate commentary on the issue. I am asking, why not?

I do not think it is deliberate. But forgive me if I say that I find it concerning. Concern. How does this comment on the non-tribal soul of South Africa. Hey, this is not a tribe versus tribe discourse; there is only one tribe involved: the Thembu people. See my discomfort?

Added, is the discomfort I feel on Lesotho. It is not only my opinion but general knowledge that Lesotho does not have fantastic prospects as a nation state. Don’t you see? True, the Botswana pula is stronger than the rand, but does that mean we can trust the current Tswana stability. I do not know. I do not trust the nation state. I also do not have any reason to vow my loyalties to an African nation state. Not because of their inabilities, but because they don’t like the nation state. Rwanda and Burundi, let’s face it, are not nation states, they are ethnic conclaves playing the nation state game. Between me and you, they are not really successful. This is not merely my statement but something that can be read from the socio-economics of these geographical realities of the continent. It is general knowledge that the African continent is not really a fan of the nation state. It is only a reality that they must live with. It also is uncomfortable when one considers the historical role(s) played by Europe in the “development” of the African nation state. True, I am a cynic in the nation state debate but I am not ashamed. There is, in my opinion, not one instance where the nation state can be seen as a compliment to world philosophies. It is an endurance. In some minds in Africa it has been internalised as an internationally “enjoyed” concept. It is not to me.

Excuse my reckless departure from the rather localised Thembu squabble to the broad internationalism of the state. No deliberate intention. Just a carelessness with discourse. Back to the Eastern Cape, let us work hard in trying to get the issue of the Thembu people to dodge the negatives of narrow state discourse.

The nation must tell the Thembu to apply dignity to the current discomfort. Our first national president was from them.

He taught us that the depths in human consciousness is a celebration not only in Nqadu but the whole world. It is a modest gesture that we must not ignore. It is a testing moment that we should not fail.

The narrowness of the nation state is a constraint that we must broaden to release the broad essences of the human entity. It is not easy but a must. It is also not a narrow nation state discomfort. We must broaden it to ask awkward questions about our feeble attempts in a sociology as this country.

There is a horrible unease at me commenting on Thembu royalty. It is a big challenge that I know not to be my favourite in discourse. It is too narrow for my pleasure, but I don’t know why it is so irksome.

It is disturbing for me that the moment I assume should be South Africa’s glorious exhibition of social stability becomes a mockery of the deep beauties in our anthropologies. It is now time for the many beautiful souls in this country to shout to the Eastern Cape that we regard it as an important component in the sanity of the place called South Africa.

Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo should not be seen as more important than he really is.

The democratic space called South Africa must not be negatively tested by occurrences like this.

It is not every day that we are likely to meet them, but when we do let us show a resolve that speaks the beauties of a maturing people.

The world is watching this country with bated breath, dreaming the beauties of a continent that has so many times told the world the pleasures of humility.

It is uncomfortable but, as I said, this year is going to be my moment of choosing the beauties of being, to be praised by the world of consciousness.

It is not nice to witness a king sent to jail, but it is important that we acknowledge the dynamism of the state that we are creating to exhibit the many complex beauties of our sanities. South Africa will in the not so far future be recalled as the moment when the world chose the arduous consciousness that must accompany democracy.

It is not easy but I know, or rather want to know, that it can be done. I want to do it.

So no matter how many royals from the Eastern Cape or wherever are going to destabilise this majestic depth of being. I am glad to have been born here. Eysh!

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