Government ‘studying’ petition to release jailed king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo

25 September 2018 - 18:27 By Nonkululeko Njilo
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It remains to be seen whether government will grant AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo a presidential pardon and release him from prison
It remains to be seen whether government will grant AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo a presidential pardon and release him from prison
Image: Gallo Images/Daily Dispatch/Lulamile Feni

The department of correctional services says it has not yet responded to a memorandum calling for a presidential pardon for AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo.

The call for the pardon‚ which would see the monarch released from jail‚ was drafted by Prince Langalibalele Mthunzi Ngonyama‚ Dalidyebo’s spokesman‚ and directed to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

It was submitted in East London on Monday. “If our heritage is indeed‚ so important to you as the head of state‚ our kings are the custodians of our heritage‚ allowing one to rot in jail‚ is working against the same spirit of ubuntu‚” the prince said in the petition.

The petition said the basis of the plea for a presidential pardon was because “our king has followed all the due processes to put his side of the story across but all of his attempts yielded no positive outcome”.

Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said: “We are currently studying the memorandum and we will respond in due course.”

Dalindyebo was sentenced to 12 years in jail on charges of assault‚ arson‚ kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice in 2015.

“Our plea is not based on ignorance of the law‚ it is in fact premised on pursuit of justice that is not selective. Our king has already served 33 months in prison‚ the burden of all these charges was unfairly placed on the shoulders of one man‚ because he happened to be the king‚” said Prince Ngonyama.

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