King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo of the AbaThembu people — part of South Africa’s second‑largest ethnic group, the Xhosa — completed a landmark visit to Israel this week as a guest of the Foreign Ministry. It was his first trip to the country, one that profoundly altered his perspective on the war and on Israel’s struggle for security.
During his tour, the king visited Kibbutz Nir Oz and the Nova music festival site, where Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 400 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. He also met with freed hostages Aviva and Keith Siegel, and with Rabbi Doron Peretz, father of the late David Peretz z”l, who was born in South Africa.
King Dalindyebo and his delegation were screened the 47‑minute IDF “horror film” — raw documentary footage from body cameras and security cameras showing the atrocities of that day. The graphic evidence moved him and his entourage to tears.
“You have no right to murder children. You have no right to murder women. You have no right to attack defenseless civilians,” he declared, condemning Hamas in a video filmed at the Bibas family home in Nir Oz. “These people are criminals who must be prosecuted.”
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His Majesty King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo 🇿🇦, referring to Hamas after visiting Kibbutz Nir Oz:
“These people are criminals who must be brought to justice. What I have seen here is a very sad story, and it’s something that must never happen to any nation or any… pic.twitter.com/QEXSktizlW
— South African Zionist Federation (@SAzionfed) December 6, 2025
Challenging Pretoria’s stance
South Africa, though maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel, is considered one of the most hostile nations toward the Jewish state — from deep ties with Iran to its petition accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
The king openly criticized his own government’s narrative, calling it biased and disconnected from the truth: “Those accusing the Israeli Prime Minister are blind. Come and listen to Israelis themselves. What I saw here is a very sad story — something that must never happen to any community anywhere.”
He warned that any leader who would allow attacks like Oct. 7 to pass without forceful response would be abandoning their people.
The king with the son and grandson of Oded Lifshitz, an 83-year-old Israeli journalist and peace activist who died in Hamas captivity, at the family home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Photo by Eran Zeno
Voice of influence in South Africa
The AbaThembu tribe — over three million people within the broader Xhosa population of nine million — holds a special place in national identity: Nelson Mandela came from the tribe’s royal family, raised by the king’s own great‑grandfather.
Dalindyebo remains highly popular for his anti‑corruption stance and independence from the ruling ANC, whose dominance has been slipping amid worsening crime, unemployment over 30%, failing infrastructure and international embarrassment.
Israel sees leaders like him as crucial bridges to South African society. While South African government messaging is sharply anti‑Israel, public sentiment remains largely positive — influenced, diplomats say, by South Africa’s deep Christian roots.
Ambassador David Saranga, who organized the visit, emphasized: “South African media has avoided covering the horrors of Oct. 7. Here the king encountered a truth he had never been shown — and one he is now determined to bring home to his people.”
The king and his delegation with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Photo by Eran Zeno
A relationship built through crisis
Israel established its first connection with King Dalindyebo last August by providing humanitarian aid after devastating floods in KwaZulu‑Natal. Despite heavy political pressure not to interact with Israeli officials, the king publicly thanked Israel and condemned his own government’s neglect.
Since then, the embassy in Pretoria has pursued a strategy of engaging tribal and religious leaders directly, bypassing hostile political gatekeepers.
This trip — and more visits planned in the coming months — aim to shift South African discourse by empowering those who shape grassroots opinion.
Against the backdrop of turbulent Israel–South Africa relations, this royal visit may prove a turning point: a powerful voice from Mandela’s own house now calling on his nation to confront the truth about Hamas — and rethink its stance toward Israel.
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