AbaThembu Royal Family is the reigning royal family or the house of amaDlomo of the abaThembu people of South Africa.
AbaThembu have been ruled by a lineage of kings since precolonial days. Today two kingdoms exist, abaThembu Dalindyebo Kingdom at Bumbane great place, Mthatha and western Thembuland. However the abaThembu at Bumbane are considered overall Kingdom of all abaThembu since western Thembuland ruled by Manthazima royal house is considered a colonial creation. There are also chiefs or inkosi who rule under the King. Nelson Mandela was a member of this tribe and a son of a chief at Mvezo.
Their royal palace / great place is at Bumbane, Eastern Cape
Royal Titles
- King – iKumkani
- Queen Mother/Great royal wife- iNdlunkulu (Great royal wife/house), sometimes Indlovukazi
- Queen – iKumkanikazi
- Prince – iNkosana
- Princess – iNkosazana
- Chief – iNkosi
- Palace – commonly known as Great place
Kings of AbaThembu
- Thembu
- Ndilo
- Ntongakazi
- Bhomoyi
- Ceduma
- Zima
- Mnguti
- Ngxongo
- Ntoyi
- Ntande
- Nxeko
- Dlomo
- Hala
- Madiba
- Tato
- Zondwa
- Ndala
- Vusani Ngubengcuka Aa! Ndaba! – Reigned 1800 – 1830
- Mthikrakra
- Ngangelizwe
- married Princess Novili, daughter of King Sarili of Xhosa as his great royal wife
- Dalindyebo
- Sampu Dalindyebo Aah! Jongilizwe!
- Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo Aah! Jonguhlanga – Reigned 1929 – 1986
- married six wives including Queen Nomoscow great wife
- Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo Aah! Zwelibanzi – Reigned 1986 – current
- Nocollege Buyiswa Majiki (married 1992-divorced in 1990s)
- Queen regent Noluntu Dalindyebo (married 1995 divorced 2002)
- Queen Nokwanda Dalindyebo (married 2004)
- Queen Nolitha Dalindyebo (married 2004- died 2016)
- Queen Nolwazi Dalindyebo (married 2004-died 2011)
Below is the immediate family
King (Kumkani) Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo
Late King (Kumkani) Sabata Dalindyebo aah Jonguhlanga of abaThembu, South Africa was born in 1928 to King Samu Dalindyebo. His father died in 1928 and he succeeded him under the regency of Prince Jongintaba Dalindyebo. He is the father of current King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo of abaThembu, Bumbane great place, Mthatha, South Africa. He died in 1986 in Zambia where he had gone to exile in 1980 after some clashes with the then Transkei government. He was reburied in Thembuland in 1989. King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality is named after him because his great place was in the region and he was seen as a hero who fought for the freedom of Transkei and South Africa.
He was married to six wives including his great royal wife Queen Nomoscow Dalindyebo who became great wife as she was from the Njokweni royal house, Peddie
- Queen Nolindile
- Queen Nocanada
- Queen Nokaya
- Queen Nomoscow (Great royal wife)
- Queen
King (Kumkani) Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo
HM King (Kumkani) Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo of abaThembu or Thembu people (abaThembu Kingdom), Bumbane great place, mthatha, South Africa. He has been King since 1987. He is the son of late King Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo (1928 – 1986) and his great royal wife Queen Nomoscow Dalindyebo.
The king has had many brushes with the law, he was jailed in 2015 for 12 years for offences committed in the 1995-1996. However after 4 years of serving he was released on 23 December 2019 due to public demand and intervention of some traditional leaders leading to president Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa granting him presidential pardon. While he served his sentence, his son Prince Azenathi Dalindyebo was made regent. Now that the King is out, he has taken back his throne.
King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo of abaThembu has been married five times with children to:
- Nocollege Buyiswa Majiki (married 1992-divorced in 1990s)
- Queen regent Noluntu Dalindyebo (married 1995 divorced 2002)
- Queen Nokwanda Dalindyebo from AmaXesibe clan (married 2004)
- Queen Nolitha Dalindyebo (married 2004- died 2016)
- Queen Nolwazi Dalindyebo (married 2004-died 2011)
- Queen Khazeka Dalindyebo born Princess Nobubalalo Mcinga from Amangxongo Royal House o (married 2023)
Queen (Kumkanikazi) Nokwanda Dalindyebo
Queen Nokwanda Dalindyebo is the current wife and queen consort to HM King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo. They married in 2004
Children
Prince Azenathi Dalindyebo
Prince Azenathi Dalindyebo is the son of King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo of abaThembu, Bumbane great place, mthatha, South Africa. He served as regent between 2015-2019. He is married to Usikhumbulile Dalindyebo
- Prince Onesisa Dalindyebo
Photos : Lulamile Feni
The King has other children
Siblings of the King
- Prince inkosi Jongisizwe Mankunku Dalindyebo
- Prince Siganeko Dalindyebo
- Prince Patrick Dalindyebo
- Princess Ndileka Dalindyebo Dlamini. She married Prince Melika Dlamini of Eswatini in 1986.
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