‘I answer to no one!’ AbaThembu king defies state over Israel visit

AbaThembu King

Cape Town – A recent visit by senior Israeli officials to the Eastern Cape, at the invitation of AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo, has intensified an already fraught diplomatic dispute between South Africa and Israel.

The visit has raised fresh questions about diplomatic protocol, national sovereignty, and the role of traditional leaders in international relations.

King Dalindyebo defended his decision to host the Israeli delegation at Mthatha General Hospital and Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, asserting that, as a monarch, he is not required to report to national or provincial authorities.

“There is no legislation, no constitutional premise, that actually enforces me to account to a president or to a premier of whatever nature,” he said, dismissing criticism that the visit bypassed formal diplomatic channels.

The king further asserted expansive traditional powers, saying, “I can declare whatever existing law in the country null and void,” and rejected the notion that he is subordinate to government leaders.

“As royalty, we have no law that actually restricts us from any international interaction, from any bilateral relations with any country,” he told reporters.

The visit occurred amid escalating diplomatic tensions between South Africa and Israel. On January 30, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) declared Ariel Seidman, Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Pretoria, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours.

Dirco said the move followed “a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms,” including social media posts deemed insulting to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the failure to notify the department of senior Israeli official visits, including the Eastern Cape trip.

Israel responded in kind by declaring Shaun Edward Byneveldt, South Africa’s ambassador to Palestine, persona non grata, triggering a diplomatic tit-for-tat. According to Dirco spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, Byneveldt’s accreditation through Israel highlights longstanding tensions surrounding Palestinian statehood and diplomatic representation.

“Israel’s obstructionism forces a farcical arrangement where he is accredited through the very state that occupies his host country,” Phiri said.

The Israeli delegation’s agenda reportedly included discussions on cooperation in health, water and agriculture, following King Dalindyebo’s earlier visit to Israel, where partnerships with institutions such as Sheba Medical Centre were explored. The Israeli mission said it aimed to support improved service delivery in the Eastern Cape.

“Water, agriculture, technology, education — I am here to build bridges between Israel and the people of South Africa,” said David Saranga, a senior Israeli foreign affairs official, during the visit.

ANC leaders have publicly criticised King Dalindyebo’s actions, arguing that his engagement with Israeli officials contradicts South Africa’s long-standing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party does not support the king’s stance, adding that what the monarch did “is a betrayal of our solidarity with the Palestinian people,” and stressing that “we don’t support Israel as the ANC.”

In a broader rebuke, Mbalula and the party’s national executive described the visit and the king’s conduct as “an affront to Palestinians,” saying it was “unbelievable that someone … can simply forget all of that” struggle history by aligning so visibly with Israel.

 

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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele

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