AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo spent his first night in jail after his application to have his bail extended was dismissed by the Eastern Cape High Court on Wednesday.
The application was denied by High Court Judge Nozuko Mjali with costs.
Dalindyebo applied to the High Court in Mthatha on Tuesday to have his bail extended pending Justice Minister Michael Masutha’s announcement on his petition to have his case reopened.
According to Dalindyebo’s lawyer, Yasmin Omar, the king will start his first day in jail on Wednesday night. Omar said the king had personally given his assurance that he will hand himself over to start his sentence. Omar also stated that Mjali gave no reasons for his decision.
On Tuesday Masutha announced that he had dismissed an application by the king to have his case reopened.
Dalindyebo was scheduled to present himself to the Mthatha Correctional Centre on Wednesday evening. He was granted a reprieve by the High Court in Mthatha on December 23, the day he was meant to report to the prison where he would start serving his 12-year sentence.
In 2009, Dalindyebo was sentenced to 15 years in prison for culpable homicide, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, arson, and kidnapping. He was granted bail pending the outcome of his appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).The SCA set aside his culpable homicide conviction and reduced his sentence to 12 years.
His crimes are related to the treatment of some of his subjects in 1995 and 1996.
Dalindyebo will be taken to the Wellington Prison outside Mthatha.