/ 17 January 2000

MADIBA RELATIVE IN COURT

WHILE the eyes of the world are on the opening of his famous royal relative’s museum in Umtata in February, influential young Tembu paramount chief Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo will be appearing in the high court in a desperate last battle to stave off a five-year jail term for sabotage. Dalindyebo, third king to rule the Tembu great house since David Jongilanga, who raised former president Nelson Mandela in his early Transkei years, was convicted and sentenced in the regional court on March 4 last year after admitting to burning down four Eskom power line poles. Alindyebo said the move, which cost Eskom R100000 to repair and blacked out Umtata and neighbouring districts as far as Flagstaff in the east for three days, followed the former Transkei Electricity Supply Commission failing to compensate him for laying the lines over his farm.