Durban - The Abathembu royal house has turned against its king, Zwelibanzi Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, saying he should start serving his 15-year punishment for various crimes, including attempted murder.
Spokesman for the royal house, Daludumo Mtirara, warned that if the monarch was not arrested by the end of this month, “we will make the area’s justice system ungovernable”.
He said Dalindyebo’s advisers had realised there was no way out for the king, except jail.
“It is more than five years after the Mthatha High Court found King Dalindyebo guilty for various crimes, including attempted murder, arson, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice,” Mtirara said.
“Towards the end of 2009, the king was sentenced to 15 years in prison.”
He said the royal family had become aware a few months ago that court records had been stolen from the Mthatha High Court.
Documents
“We had to enlist the services of private investigators to get to the bottom of the matter, and the files have since been recovered. For now we are still in the dark as to how and where the documents were found.
“We have tried in vain to get the Mthatha (court) registrar to issue a warrant of arrest against the king. The king never appealed his sentence and the period to do so has since lapsed.”
Mtirara said the king’s recent visit to Nkandla and apology to President Zuma for remarks he had made – he had called Zuma a “Zulu boy” and a liar – was a self-serving gesture.
“We believe that apologies may only work once he has served his jail sentence. He only did this to possibly minimise the jail term and a possible early parole.”
Before Christmas, the king presented Zuma with a cow as a sign of his apology. Zuma also gave the king a cow as a sign that he accepted the apology.
Justice and Constitutional Development spokesman, advocate Mthunzi Mhaga, said that, procedurally, when an appeal lapsed the police and the National Prosecuting Authority would facilitate the arrest.
“In respect to the king’s matter, the last time I checked his lawyers had intended to resuscitate the appeal although it had lapsed,” Mhaga said.
Dalindyebo’s spokesman, Mfundo Mtirara, said it was wishful thinking to have the king in jail.
“There are laws in this country, so people don’t just get arrested without following proper procedure. With regards to the missing court documents, nobody had officially told us about them, so we can’t comment on that because we are not the employees of the justice department,” he said.
The king’s lawyer, Wesley Haze, said the appeal had been resuscitated.
The matter was sent for appeal and his client was waiting for a date.
“We took the matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) and it is the state’s duty to ensure that the docket is available at the SCA,” Hayes said.
- Daily News