Masisi, Bangwato Royals daggers
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday July 25, 2022 06:00
Theirs was to assist and guide the warring parties toward resolution of the problem. Bangwato royals or Khama’s uncles as they refer to themselves had hope that they will go down in history as the men who helped end the conflict between the once close allies.
But other rivalries soon emerged causing an endless chain of enmity between the Bangwato royals, Khama, Masisi and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse.
The sequence of events led to the dismissal of Bangwato regent Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane from office in May. Now the latest utterances by President Masisi at the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) National Council have opened old wounds and might provoke a tribal outrage.
In a leaked audio in which Masisi was addressing BDP members about bad blood between Khama, the president said all he ever wanted was for Khama and his uncles to display proper manners because he never wanted to remove Khama from the Bangwato chieftainship.
Masisi balatantly revealed in the audio that Khama’s uncles who were supposed to be mediators ended up ‘ba mo tlhokela botho’ (disrespecting him). He said Khama’s uncles disregard the position he holds as president.
The BDP leader also said the uncles had disrespected him by implying that he wants to assassinate Khama with the assistance of the DIS. He said the royals misled Bangwato by fueling issues of hatred instead of developments like other tribes. Masisi added that Bangwato are too important for the country and should not be divided by the royals.
He said both Khama and his uncles will suffer the consequences if they don’t behave properly. Before the audio leak, Masisi had never publicly addressed his issue with Bangwato royals unashamedly like he did at Maharaj this past weekend.
Instead Masisi has been handling the issue through his mediator Autlwetse. Khama’s uncles had always expressed their disappointment in Masisi’s decision to appoint Autlwetse as his arbitrator.
In March this year, Kgosi Mokhutshwane Sekgoma on behalf of the royals expressed that Masisi had ignored and shown them ambiguous dishonesty and disrespect. Infuriated by Masisi’s lack of reply to their requested meeting, the Bangwato royals disclosed that they were disappointed that Masisi decided to relegate the issue to Autlwetse.
“Our second bone of contention with the President’s attitude was that he has relegated a matter that was for his personal attention to his conflicted emissary in Autlwetse who is a Mongwato subject of Khama and therefore, neither qualified to adjudicate on an issue of his master nor acceptable to us as the royal uncles on the account of cultural fact and protocol,” Sekgoma revealed.
Sekgoma indicated that they even restated their wish to meet with Masisi directly in preparation for a possible sit-down with Khama. The royals expressed that they were deeply disappointed by the fact that Masisi went to their Kgotla last year and misled them into believing that he was sincere.
At the time some of Bangwato tribesmen were heard uttering threats to Masisi amongst them the suggestion to bewitch the man from Moshupa. In Masisi’s defence Autlwetse told Mmegi at the time that Masisi had never refused to meet for reconciliation. He said the royals were told to bring Khama who is in exile in South Africa to the meeting and that was the only way Masisi could agree for a reconciliation meeting.
He felt what the royals said about him being conflicted was just their opinion because they could not stand the fact that he is a minister. After a series of Kgotla meetings in Serowe where tribesmen discussed the Khama-Masisi issue Autlwetse showed his arm by giving a stern warning to Bangwato regent Kgamane. He instructed Kgamane to never convene a kgotla meeting at the Serowe Kgotla or at any other Kgotla, to discuss debate or deal with any matter pertaining to, or which involves Khama and any of his family members.
Autlwetse accused Kgamane of convening a meeting at the Serowe Kgotla on March 19, 2022 whose subject matter and/or agenda no way relevant to the functions of Dikgosi as stated under the Bogosi Act. Vexed by this stern warning to Kgamane, Khama reminded Autlwetse that despite the latter’s position as a minister he (Autlwetse) is still his subject.
Khama said it is his duty as Bangwato Kgosi to remind Autlwetse that even as Minister he is his subject and has no business or right to interfere in his dealings with Bangwato. After the warning, Autlwetse suspended Kgamane only to fire him a week later. The Bangwato tribal leadership didn’t accept government's move to terminate Kgosi Kgamane and further added that they will not accept anybody purported to replace Kgosi Kgamane. Bangwato then resolved in their kgotla meeting that government must also hold off the convening of kgotla meetings in any part of Gammangwato until the promised meeting with their tribal leadership is held.
They said this included President Masisi, his cabinet, and officials. Fast forward to now, the Bangwato royals have not yet responded to Masisi’s utterances but their Kgosi Khama has since condemned Masisi in what he calls ‘tribalistic remarks directed at Bangwato and aspersions on his uncles and his status as Bangwato Kgosikgolo’.
Khama revealed that before his uncles offered help as mediators there were two teams which failed to reconcile them. He said mediation efforts by BDP elders led by former president Festus Mogae was chosen by Masisi alone and he had no opportunity to have a say in the composition of the team. He said he accommodated the Mogae team but the latter wanted to ignore his complaints of curtailment and withdrawal of his privileges by Masisi.
He said after reaching a deadlock the second team which included BDP treasurer Satar Dada and former BDP chairman Daniel Kwelagobe came to him on their own but eventually gave up, not on him, but on Masisi whom they said was making himself unavailable to them. With the two teams failing that was when Khama’s uncles motivated by the DIS investigations against him attempted to have a conversation with President Masisi over their son and leader.
Now that the royal Bangwato uncles have given up after their fruitless efforts to offer mediation and restore unity between Khama and Masisi, it remains to be seen what will happen now that Masisi has finally expressed his feelings about Bangwato leadership and their Kgosi.