South Africa: King’s Imprisonment Causes Royal Ruckus

The AbaThembu started the new year with a royal ruckus over breaches of protocol and authority as its King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo sat in jail.
“External elements” were misleading some of Dalindyebo’s children over who was in charge while the king was in prison, royal family spokesperson Daludumo Mtirara said in a statement.
“We want to put it on record that the overarching house which has full authority to deal with the internal affairs of the kingdom of AbaThembu, in support of the Great House, is the King Ngangelizwe Royal Family,” said Mtirara.
There was nothing wrong with Dalindyebo’s family meeting to discuss internal affairs, but according to custom the invitation to the meeting could only be sanctioned by Prince Jongisizwe Mthandeni Dalindyebo, the king’s son.
Mtirara said Siganeko Dalindyebo, considered a junior member of the family, had tried to arrange a meeting for Saturday without going through the correct channels.
He was supposed to have asked his seniors in the family and Prince Jongisizwe Mthandeni Dalindyebo for permission.