The Abathembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo has partnered with Israel with the aim of improving health and education locally.
Dalindyebo confirmed this during a meeting he hosted with an Israeli delegation at Nkululekweni in Mthatha last week.
He said health facilities are in poor condition, and what he wants to see is a nation that is well-secured in terms of healthcare.
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“This is what I would love to see. We usually describe freedom as access to land and minerals, but I believe the best form of freedom is access to good health, good services, and a protected nation,” said Dalindyebo.
He added that when everyone has access to education, true freedom will be within reach. He said there is no need to free people who are ignorant and lack knowledge, who cannot take care of their own assets and wealth; therefore, education is important.
Dalindyebo added that Israel was the first country to reach out and offer assistance when the Mthatha community was affected by floods on 10 June 2025.
“During our desperate time when we suffered from floods, I asked for no assistance. They felt in their hearts that they needed to help us, and from that help, they are now extending more support so that we can stand.”
Israeli Ambassador and Director for Digital Diplomacy in the Office of Home Affairs in Israel, David Saranga, said this was his second visit to the Eastern Cape. His first visit was in August 2025, during which he invited Dalindyebo to visit Israel because there are many fields in which the two can cooperate.
“Water, agriculture, technology, education — I am here to build bridges between Israel and the people of South Africa. When I came here in August, I invited the King to come and see what Israel is good at. In December, he visited us and met with different people, where we presented areas in which we can cooperate. That is why we are here today,” said Saranga.
He added that they came with representatives from Innovation Africa, an organisation that brings water to remote villages across Africa, including South Africa, using Israeli technology.
Saranga said they came together to identify villages where they can provide clean water to communities.
“We also look to cooperate in the field of agriculture, given the rich land we have here. I hope that soon we will see cooperation in the field of health. We are going to cover all the expenses because we want to help the people of this area. I am happy to be here, and we are going to start very soon,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital, Nomkhita Mtonjana, said many issues were discussed during the meeting, particularly regarding Frere Hospital, as they want to see it reach a similar level.
“We agreed that in terms of collaboration, we need to write down our needs in various areas, whether infrastructure or capacity building in our specialised fields. We will then look at how we can work with the Israelis,” said Mtonjana.
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