The personal spokesperson of His Majesty King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo has rejected claims that the AbaThembu monarch’s visit to Israel was influenced or orchestrated by Professor Caesar Nongqunga.
In a statement issued by Mayibuye Melisizwe Mandela, Gauteng Spokesperson to His Majesty King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo, remarks made by Afrika Mayibuye President Floyd Shivambu on the King David Podcast were dismissed as “false, misleading, and factually incorrect.”
The spokesperson clarified that King Dalindyebo undertook the December 2025 visit to Israel of his own volition, acting within his authority as traditional leader of the AbaThembu people.
Any suggestion that the trip was “initiated, directed, or influenced” by Professor Nongqunga was firmly denied.
According to the statement, Professor Nongqunga accompanied the delegation solely in his personal capacity as a religious leader and a subject of the King, and played no role in planning or directing the visit.
King Dalindyebo’s trip, during which he met with senior Israeli officials and visited sites linked to the ongoing conflict, sparked widespread controversy in South Africa.
Critics, including the African National Congress (ANC) and some provincial leaders, argued that the visit undermined the country’s official pro-Palestinian foreign policy position and breached diplomatic norms.
The visit also caused divisions within the AbaThembu community, with some royal houses distancing themselves from the King’s actions, describing the trip as politically damaging and inconsistent with AbaThembu traditions.
However, the King’s supporters have defended the visit as a fact-finding mission, aimed at gaining firsthand insight into the conflict and exploring potential cooperation, particularly in health and education.
The debate unfolded amid already strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and Israel, following the government’s expulsion of the Israeli chargé d’affaires.
In closing, Mandela urged public figures and the media to respect factual accuracy and the dignity of the AbaThembu monarchy, stressing that King Dalindyebo exercises independent authority in leading his traditional institution.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
