The South African Police Service of Maluti near Matatiele in the Eastern Cape is investigating a case of intimidation against King Thandisizwe Diko of Amabaca. Police confirmed to the Informer that a docket has been opened for case number 90/1/2021 against Diko on the 30th of January 2021. According to police a case of intimidation against him is therefore under investigation. The person who opened a case against Diko is Richman Lebenya of KwaNchodu in Matatiele. Lebenya claims to the police that he was phoned by Diko who told him that he is going to kill him. Trying to find out the connection between Lebenya and Diko the Informer found out that Lebenya has a child with Diko’s daughter. According to reports, Lebenya got threats from Diko through a telephone after he had a misunderstanding with the mother of his child about arrangements for him to see the child.
According to Lebenya the man said, “You come closer to my child I will kill you”. “I felt this is serious and I went to open a case of intimidation. I also requested a protection order against him and it was granted”, he said. Responding to this Diko had this to say. 51% of women in SA say they’ve experienced GBV, with 76% of men saying they’ve perpetrated GBV at one stage in their lives. Sadly some, so-called “men” (cowards and failures) think that a definition of a man is to abuse helpless women to boost their low self-esteemed ego, e.g men who have sex with a woman even when she does not want to. How do you explain that? We ought to be ashamed as men, fathers, uncles, brothers, friends, and the society that instead of dealing with the scourge of GBV against women, we run for newspapers, manipulate the system pleading intimidation. It’s a pity that the abused (young) women hardly have the courage to do that.
Those who dare speak out, are damned. I remain proud of the women who dare share their misery in the hands of these animals. We call on all of us to stand up, shame lamagwala, and protect the voiceless, helpless, desperate women in our country. We invite all the community – based organizations who are fighting the scourge on a daily basis to also look at how rural-based women like Matatiele, KwaBhaca, and other areas have been victimized by men and I hope this newspaper will prioritize this, to become the voice of those helpless, abused women without favor, fear and prejudice”, concluded King Diko. Diko is not new to controversy, last year he was in newspapers for allegations of fraud and corruption which were perpetrated through Personal Protective Clothing. That has lead to his wife, Khusela Diko losing her job as President Ramaphosa ‘spokesperson.
Diko was also at loggerheads with the community of Ncunteni Village over a road construction near his home. He blocked the road by fencing it and the fence was forcefully removed by the community. He opened a case against the community members and the matter will be heard on the 15th of March this year. The PPE scandal leads to many people in the country questioning the status of his Kingship. Chieftainess Nokwezi Makaula of Amabhaca who is also serving in the Eastern Cape House of Traditional leaders said clearly in one meeting that Amabhaca does not have a King.
