The ANC in the Eastern Cape has condemned AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo for what it described as a “counter-revolutionary stance on imperialism”, accusing him of aligning himself with Israel and Western powers at the expense of SA’s long-standing support for Palestine. The backlash followed Dalindyebo’s meeting on Thursday with senior Israeli diplomat David Saranga, the director of the Digital Diplomacy Bureau at Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs, at the king’s Nkulekweni private residence in Mthatha. It was the third engagement between the two, following earlier meetings in October and December, during which the king led a delegation of traditional leaders and two of his children on a visit to Israel.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Dalindyebo lashed out at the ANC, President Cyril Ramaphosa and EFF leader Julius Malema, declaring his friendship with the West and describing US President Donald Trump as his ally. “Israel is my home. Donald Trump is my friend,” the king said, adding that he remained an ally of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
ANC provincial spokesperson Yanga Zicina described Dalindyebo’s remarks as “imperialist-driven and egregious”. “This stance undermines the principles of sovereignty, dignity and self-determination that South Africa fought for during apartheid and is a betrayal of our nation’s long-standing solidarity with the people of Palestine, who are in a protracted struggle against Israeli apartheid and occupation,” Zicina said. He said imperialism perpetuated inequality, exploitation and oppression, particularly in Africa.
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“Supporting imperialism is tantamount to supporting the exploitation of the weak by the strong, which is scandalous and undermines the sovereignty and dignity of nations,” he said. Zicina accused the king of political opportunism, citing his shifting allegiances and recent association with Israel, which led to his removal from the EFF. “The king’s overzealous support for Israel’s actions in Gaza is a stark reminder of his disregard for the ANC’s principled position on Palestine,” he said. He said the AbaThembu monarchy’s dignity had been compromised by what he described as the king’s reckless statements.
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