East London - King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo was admitted to East London’s St Dominic’s Hospital on Friday evening after embarking on a hunger strike.
Dalindyebo was incarcerated at the East London prison after the failure of his Constitutional Court bid to have his 12-year prison conviction and sentence for kidnapping, arson and assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm set aside.
He started serving his sentence on December 31.
News of Dalindyebo’s ill-health emerged during a prison visit by EFF leader Julius Malema, his deputy Floyd Shivambu, party chairman and advocate Dali Mpofu and representatives of the party’s Eastern Cape leadership.
They arrived at the prison around midday yesterday and were greeted by scores of jubilant EFF supporters.
Malema and his entourage then moved to St Dominic’s Hospital, where Dalindyebo is currently receiving treatment.
Malema was met at the hospital by Eastern Cape prison boss Nkosinathi Breakfast, who briefed him on the king’s condition.
Addressing members of the media outside the hospital, Malema said: “The king fell ill and was admitted last night after engaging on a hunger strike from Sunday.”
Malema said they engaged the king and had persuaded him to resume eating. He lambasted the ANC-led government for imprisoning Dalindyebo, saying: “We have never seen such humiliation. We thought humiliation of the traditional leadership ended with the colonial times and apartheid.
“The king is in good spirits but it is painful to see what the ANC government (is) doing, what they (are) doing to this man here.”
He said the king should have been given house arrest because, like anybody else, he must be subject to the rule of law.
Malema said there were criminals who had done worse things than what Dalindyebo had done and those included President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Malema said: “There are serious criminals, hard-core criminals like the one who is presiding over our state now. He is not in prison.
“There are serious criminals like the one who killed 34 mineworkers in Marikana, who is the deputy president of this country. They are untouchable.”
Malema said the ANC government needed to rethink the decision to incarcerate Dalindyebo.
He said Zuma and the Minister of Justice Michael Masutha “did not need to have the abaThembu royal house begging”.
“They should know from their wisdom that jailing the king is a miscarriage of justice.”
Meanwhile, the abaThembu royal house said it was unaware that the king had been sent to hospital.
The spokesman for the royal house, Chief Bhovulengwe Mtirara, said they were waiting for Nokwanda, the wife of the king, who was visiting, to tell them them how he was doing.
Sunday Tribune
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