Pretoria - The AbaThembu nation on Monday saluted justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola for the early release of King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo.
Dalindyebo benefitted from the remission of prison sentences announcement earlier this month by president Cyril Ramaphosa.
"We wish to commend the honourable minister of Justice and Correctional Services, advocate Ronald Lamola, and the Department of Correctional Services for the release of his majesty King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo. The mountains of Mantentente in Bumbane, Mthatha, will once again echo a welcoming message to the house of Jongihlanga and the descendants of the AbaThembu nation," royal family spokesperson Daludumo Mtirara said in a statement.
"The absence of his majesty marked a period of division within the AbaThembu nation and the matter eventually landed in Grahamstown High Court under the lead of AbaThembu royal adviser, advocate Matthew Mpahlwa."
Mtirara said the period "also brought no peace, no stability, no unity and no social cohesion in the kingdom".
"It saw the children of Jongihlanga exile their home in Bumbane. Queen Nokwanda, wife of King Zwelibanzi was humiliated and ignored by many. She had been the preferred candidate by the king to act in his absence. Now her dignity will be restored," said Mtirara.
Among the things that Dalindyebo had to immediately correct upon his return, he said, were the "irregularities" committed by the king before his incarceration.
"Mistakes indeed were made. To be specific, the king introduced a new irregularity on succession which he based on spontaneous alternating announcements of Azenathi as his heir and, sometimes, Sinethemba, who is the son of queen Nokwanda, as also his heir depending on how he felt on that particular day," said Mtirara.
"His nominations were based on personality and a favour of the day. He failed to observe the custom by simply marrying a queen which is suitable for the great house. He further failed to maintain the baseline of the kingdom of AbaThembu regarding the ranking/allocation of his queens to their respective royal houses. In his return, he must immediately rank his wives, so that the kingdom does not find itself in royal strife again."
On Reconciliation Day, Ramaphosa announced his decision to grant more than 14 000 prisoners pardons or remissions of sentences, a moved described as "a slap in the face" to crime victims and South Africans by the Democratic Alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party.
Dalindyebo was serving a 12-year sentence for crimes including arson, culpable homicide, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and kidnapping.