He was taking his father's new car for a spin around the block in Mthatha block when he crashed it. King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's son, Sinethemba Solakhe Dalindyebo, is in deep trouble after what happened to the king's brand-new SUV valued at over R800 000.

The Abathembu king was gifted the car at his Eastern Cape royal homestead by Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, the Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), and his provincial counterpart, MEC Zolile Williams. Initially, they offered him an even pricier BMW X4, which cost R1.2 million but he rejected it for something affordable as he is not into 'flashy cars,' he said. The car has since crashed and allegedly needs repairs. 

A member of the royal family, who did not wish to be named for fear of intimidation, told ZiMoja that Sinethemba indeed crashed the car. "He bumped it near Walter Sisulu University (WSU) last week," the source said. "None of us has the right to tell them to open a case but the family is dealing with the matter internally," the insider said. The family member said the vehicle is currently parked in the yard. "It is parked in the yard. Sinethemba is 18 years old. He dropped out of school in Grade eight. He has not been okay, just going through teenage issues. There has been a lot happening in the family and this just put the nail in the coffin. We don't know where he was going with the car and if he had permission to drive it around,". The new Abathembu spokesperson Ntando Dalindyebo (19) said the car was indeed in a small accident, but Sinethemba was not the driver. "He was a passenger and not the driver. The car is okay, and it had a minor scratch- nothing to write home about."

This is not the first time that the King has received a car as a gift. In 2021, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) gave him a luxurious R1.8 million Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV. After recently celebrating his 60th birthday at an ANC Siyanqoba rally in the Chris Hani district, EFF supporters questioned if the party would take back the car, they gifted him. The spokesperson, Vuyani Pambo, emphasized they would not as it was a gift and not a bribe. Last year, the King proposed that the Eastern Cape government divert his R3-million annual allowance for travels towards his children's education, as he did not travel much.