AbaThembu king charged with assault, damage to property

AbaThembu king Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo was charged in the Bityi Magistrate’s Court on Friday afternoon with malicious damage to property and assault by threats.

He was released on warning, but will appear again on 1 June, police said.

Dalindyebo was arrested on Friday morning, hours after he had gone on a rampage at Bumbane Great Place in Mthatha.

ALSO READ: King Dalindyebo arrested for ‘axe assault’ on family

The king arrived at the Great Place at 2am on Friday morning with an axe and started breaking furniture and throwing out clothes belonging to his son Azenathi, the current king regent.

The king was released on parole in December after serving a third of his sentence following his conviction for assault, arson, kidnapping, and defeating the ends of justice.

Those crimes were committed between 1995 and 1996 when he torched the properties of three locals and kidnapped a woman and several children.

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