Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has slammed the Israeli Embassy and King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo of the AbaThembu for coordinating visits to provincial institutions including Walter Sisulu University and public hospitals and donating goods without the provincial government’s knowledge or approval.
Mabuyane said these engagements breached established diplomatic protocol, undermining South Africa’s constitutional system in which international cooperation must be managed through national channels such as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the National Treasury.
He called the actions an affront to the country’s sovereignty.
The premier has instructed the provincial Health MEC to investigate how the donations were accepted and said the government will work with national authorities to prevent future unauthorized foreign engagements.
Critics argue foreign diplomats must follow proper diplomatic channels, and that traditional leaders like King Dalindyebo have no mandate to engage independently with international missions on behalf of the province.