‘Short cut’ casts doubt on Mandla’s status

Royal feud worsens as king threatens to expel Madiba’s grandson for plotting against him

THE row over the legitimacy of Mandla Mandela’s official status has deepened with claims that the government did not follow the correct procedures when it restored the Mvezo chieftaincy.

Tembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo said he had not signed a certificate of recognition, which is necessary to cement the young Mandela’s recognition by the government.

Relations between Dalindyebo and Mandla are near breaking point, after the king accused his cousin of being part of a plot to unseat him.

Last night, reports surfaced that Dalindyebo was in the process of expelling Mandla from “all ranks of duty” because he “has not only angered us, he has also angered his own family”.

But at the same time, a group of Tembu chiefs have petitioned local government and traditional affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane for the removal of Dalindyebo as head of the royal house for, they claimed, bringing the Tembu nation into disrepute.

Dalindyebo said that the Eastern Cape government had forced through a rushed recognition and inauguration of Mandla’s chieftaincy as a birthday gift to former president Nelson Mandela six years ago.

Speaking through his spokeswoman, Phumla Matshaya, Dalindyebo said he had not signed the certificate because of irregularities.

These included that it was not the Tembu royal house that had initiated recognition and that he was not consulted in any preparations when Mandla’s chieftaincy was conferred on him — something he regarded as a lack of respect.

“There were hiccups — there was even a person who resigned because of irregularities,” Matshaya said. “Other chiefs were questioning the fact that this was done so speedily by the government while there was a long line waiting for recognition by the government.

“So the king never signed it. It was signed by Chief Mfundo Mtirara instead,” she said.

However, the provincial department offered a number of documents showing that recognition was initiated by the Tembu traditional authority.

Neither Nosimo Balindlela nor Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, who were the premier and the head of the province’s house of traditional leaders respectively, would

My belief was that it should not be done in that way just because they say it involves a Mandela

comment, because they are part of the Tembu family.

“I am married into the Madiba family and therefore cannot comment on issues of the family,” said Balindlela.

Former traditional affairs MEC Sam Kwelita insisted that everything was above board, saying there was no row in the department.

But Fungile Dotwana, the former chief director of traditional affairs in the department, contradicted Kwelita, saying the decision had been “one of a number of factors” that led to his resignation.

“There was a very big fight between me and my political head, Mr Kwelita, as well as the premier . . . My belief was that it should not be done in that way [just] because they say it involves a Mandela.

“If anything, it will tarnish the image of the old man,” he said.

“It created the wrong impression that there is one law for other people and another law for the Mandelas,” said Dotwana, now a magistrate in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.

Dotwana said he refused to sign the certificate, as required by law.

“I felt that when I defy my political head, then there is no future for me in that department and I resigned.”

Eastern Cape traditional affairs spokesman Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha said the department was reluctant to comment on the issue.

Sicwetsha said information at the department’s disposal confirmed that Dalindyebo and the Tembu royal family had recommended Mandela’s recognition as chief.

“This was done during a ceremony attended by former president Rolihlahla [Nelson] Mandela and the [Tembu] king.

“We are not able to ascertain what inspired the evolution of the king’s perspective on this and we will not be drawn into speculating on it,” he said.

“We stand by what was done by our predecessors, and anyone with information contrary to what we have should engage the MEC’s office with information not tainted by emotional whims, but only information based on facts.”