Bangwato to drag gov't to court
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday December 20, 2022 06:00
The bitter turf war between government and some Bangwato, particularly those within the royal family and their close associates, did not spare any drama last Saturday.
A total of seven Special Support Group (SSG) members and police armoured vehicles descended on the Serowe Main Kgotla area. By 7:30am the road leading to the Kgotla entrance was a no-go area.
No cars and pedestrians were allowed around the area as police officers turned them away. However, across the road, some Bangwato went on about their day, as some could care less that their elders were being turned away by the police. “This war will not end, this is just a circus,” were most comments from those who interacted with The Monitor.
As they were being turned away, undeterred, the village leadership instead gathered and convened the meeting at a home a stone's throw away from the Main Kgotla. It is at this meeting that the handful of people who had the patience to stick around was given an update. According to the royal uncles, the Serowe meeting was nothing out of the ordinary.
They believe that all issues that affect ‘morafe’ are addressed at the Kgotla and as such feel hard done by law enforcement that turned them away and refused to grant them access to the Kgotla. According to them, the meeting was merely to update Bangwato on the progress of their request to meet with President Mokgweetsi Masisi as he has instructed them to do so.
“All our efforts to meet with the President after he had advised us which channels to follow if we want to address him on his matters with Kgosikgolo (former president Ian Khama) have failed,” one royal uncle said. He continued: “The honest truth is we need answers from government on a number of issues and not just the Khama matter. We want the Minister [of Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse] to come to address us. Why don’t they see the need to engage with us with all that has been happening? In fact, they should be at the forefront calling us to engage.
We have no desire to incite any instability, we just want government to address us, not through the radio or interviews. We want them here (kgotla).” According to the royal uncles, they wish not to incite any violence, “But somehow it seems we have contravened the law. How? We can only guess,” further clarifying and refuting allegations that there is a belief that they are being coerced by Khama to cause instability. “We have since engaged a lawyer to try and seek the court’s intervention on these matters. We are done trying to do things the way things should be done,” Kgosi Sekgoma said. According to Sekgoma they now want the court to mediate between morafe and the big bully government. Meanwhile, whilst the meeting went on, through the BW Presidency official Facebook page, government posted a message from Minister Autlwetswe who seemingly rebutted the royal uncles.
Autlwetse mentioned that if there is anyone who is being bullied, it is Kgosi Serogola Seretse. “There are few who have grouped themselves that want to take his seat, forcibly. Bullying is when your relative is regent then you gang up on him and call a meeting when it is only him who can call a Kgotla meeting,” Autlwetse said.
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