King Dalindyebo Says He Doesn’t Have to Answer to President or Premier Over Israeli Visits, SA Split
- King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo has responded to the criticism surrounding a visit by Israeli officials to the Eastern Cape
- The Premier of the province and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation slammed the King's conduct
- Social media users weighed in on the AbaThembu King's claims that he didn't have to answer to anyone as a monarch
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
EASTERN CAPE - King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo has insisted that he doesn’t have to account to either the president or provincial government.
The AbaThembu King made the comments following the diplomatic fallout of a recent visit by Israeli officials to provincial institutions in the Eastern Cape. A delegation of Israeli officials, which included Israeli Foreign Affairs ministry senior official David Saranga, recently visited several hospitals along with the AbaThembu King.
The visits followed King Dalindyebo’s recent trip to Israel, but it sparked backlash, as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said it was done without their knowledge or approval.
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King Dalindyebo defends his actions
According to Times LIVE, the AbaThembu King insisted that no law or constitutional provision compelled him to account to anyone.
“There is no legislation, no constitutional premise, that actually enforces me to account to a president or to a premier of whatever nature and of whatever kind,” he said.
Eastern Cape Premier, Oscar Mabuyane, recently slammed the king and the Israeli delegates over the visits. The king escorted the delegation to Mthatha General Hospital and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital.
The Israeli embassy said that the delegation visited the hospitals to discuss potential co-operation with the Sheba Medical Centre, Israel’s largest hospital.
AbaThembu King says hospitals belong to the people
King Dalindyebo also briefly discussed DIRCO’s decision to declare Israeli Chargé d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, persona non grata. The department gave Seidman 72 hours to leave the country after it accused him of repeatedly using official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks against President Cyril Ramaphosa. DIRCO also accused him of deliberately failing to inform it of the visits by senior Israeli officials.
King Dalindyebo dismissed the fallout, saying it was being unnecessarily politicised. He insisted that there was nothing wrong with the visits, as public hospitals belonged to the people and not the State. He also stated that as a king, he didn’t have to answer to anyone.
“They (the hospitals) do not necessarily belong to the state. And second, as a monarch, I’m the number one custodian. Now, I don’t see any head of state or premier that is above a king.
“To question me, or for me to be obliged to report to small boys like that, it would be out of logic and out of God’s order,” he said.
Source: Twitter
South Africans are divided by his comments
Social media users weighed in on King Dalindyebo’s comments, sharing mixed reactions to them. Some praised the king for helping his people, while others criticised him.
Those in support of the King:
Amin Dada Idi stated:
“When the government is failing the community, the King has no choice but to intervene.”
Steven L Buthelezi agreed:
“The king is looking out for his people. The party they have always voted for, the ANC, has done nothing for them but steal State funds meant for service delivery. I support this king.”
Fikile Magqabi said:
“The government is taking care of foreigners. Dalindyebo must take care of citizens.”
Nopopo Popla noted:
“The Eastern Cape, especially Transkei, is so neglected by the ANC. Schools are poor, there’s no clean water, no houses, no roads, no decent working hospitals. It's a mess. Then the king is trying to save the situation, but politicians are worried that they were not consulted because they won't get their hands on those funds. A king has every right to help his subjects. Politicians are not the owners of people, but kings are. This is going to destroy the ANC in the Eastern Cape, especially in the Transkei. People are now angry.”
Ephraim Maditsi applauded:
“Great job, my king.”
Those against the King
King Authur asked:
“But he just came out of jail? How did they arrest you in the first place if the law stops with you?
JT Letswele suggested:
“A crash course in International Relations and Political Science may help in making informed decisions.”
Vincent Chipeta Mzimela stated:
“He is the king, but there is a head of state who should approve, through the international relations ministry, whether international people should visit or not. Especially with the sour SA and Israeli relations at the moment.”
S Jama Dlamini said:
“The problem here is the king doesn't have a hospital that is built by the royal house, which would give him full power to control. Now it’s a government facility which is guided by the government. So here, the king should have called on government officials for the purpose of upgrading healthcare. He put the country at risk, and he broke a lot of protocol.”
Lesetja Ratsoma stated:
“This King is one of the most confused people. He was once an ANC member, then a DA member and an EFF member. Now he is an Israeli spy agent. Haibo.”
Other stories about Israel and SA relations
Briefly News reported that there have been some issues between Israel and South Africa of late, with the Abathembu King, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, at the centre of it.
- King Dalindyebo and a delegation from the AbaThembu visited Israel in December 2025.
- Julius Malema confirmed that King Dalindyebo was no longer a member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) following his visit to Israel.
- Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane slammed King Dalindyebo and the Israeli Embassy over their visits to provincial institutions.
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Source: Briefly News
