King Dalindyebo Attempts to Dethrone Mandla Mandela Over Gaza Stance
A video circulating on social media has ignited a firestorm in the Eastern Cape, showing AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo announcing the removal of Mandla Mandela as the chief of Mvezo, along with two other Amakhosi.
The dramatic declaration, made over the weekend at the king’s residential complex in Mthatha, has prompted the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) to appeal for calm amid what it terms a “traditional leadership feud”.
At the centre of the conflict lies a deep geopolitical rift: Mandela’s outspoken support for Palestine clashes directly with the king’s increasingly vocal backing of Israel.
“Today I am pronouncing that Mandla Mandela is no longer the chief of Mvezo, out,” Dalindyebo is heard saying in the video. “While we are busy trying to save our own children here, he is saving children in Palestine. Let Palestine give him chieftaincy. He is no longer welcome here”. The king’s spokesperson, Mayibuye Mandela, confirmed the decision, stating that a formal statement would follow
Mandla Mandela, a grandson of Nelson Mandela and an ANC MP, was installed as chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council in 2007. He has previously threatened to lead a campaign to remove Dalindyebo as king, accusing him of betraying South Africa’s longstanding policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The grandson of Madiba has been a fervent advocate for the Palestinian cause, recently calling for a gathering at the Mvezo Great Place to express solidarity with Palestine .
However, Contralesa has moved quickly to pour cold water on the king’s decree, asserting that he lacks the authority to unilaterally dismiss traditional leaders. Contralesa President Kgosi Larmeck Mokoena emphasised that customary law and the constitution mandate a strict process for both the recognition and removal of a chief.
“You cannot just wake up one morning and say, ‘Kgosi Mokoena is no longer a Kgosi’,” Mokoena stated. He explained that a traditional leader is identified by the royal family, which then recommends the individual to the government, after which the premier issues a certificate of r