Radisele sours as Pilikwe gets promoted
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday January 23, 2024 09:43
Kgosi Gasebalwe's promotion means that the dikgosi from the three villages, who until now have been reporting to Palapye, will start reporting to Pilikwe which will in turn report to Serowe directly. Until now, Pilikwe, whose kgosi was at the same level with that of Radisele, reported to Ramokgonami.
The news of Kgosi Gasebalwe's elevation was delivered to a hostile Radisele community on Friday by a two-person delegation led by Deputy Chairman of Ntlo ya Dikgosi and Mahalapye tribal leader Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe and his counterpart from Palapye, Kgosi Gomolemo Lebang.
Although the delegation claimed they came to consult the community about the move, it became apparent that a decision had already been taken, with the bearer of the news, Kgosi Tshipe, making it clear that they were acting under instruction from Kgosi Serogola. Kgosi Tshipe also noted that the team had already been to Mokgware and Mogome to deliver the message from Serowe. Kgosi Tshipe announced that the decision from Serowe was anchored on two points, the first one being that Palapye was growing at a fast pace and this was affecting bogosi services as more people were taking up residency in the village.
This was turning Palapye into an urban centre and was likely to become a town in due course, Kgosi Tshipe said, adding that it was for this reason that the bogosi in Serowe found it necessary to relief Palapye of its workload. Kgosi Tshipe said more importantly was the fact that historically Pilikwe ranks above the villages of Radisele, Mokgware and Mogome in the hierarchy of the Bagammangwato bogosi, even as some of them may be more developed and have higher populations than Pilikwe. Without naming names, he said other villages which were considered suitable for elevation were accordingly assessed and Pilikwe was found to be the most suitable. In this regard, Kgosi Tshipe underscored the fact that Pilikwe was the village of Kgosi Tshekedi who was a royal uncle to Bagammangwato kgosikgolo, the late Seretse Khama.
“As per bogosi practice, Pilikwe has always enjoyed senior status to any other village in the area and that is why it was chosen to relief Palapye of its workload," said Kgosi Tshipe. "What we know is that this is the way to do things as per Bogosi tradition, just as Serowe will always be the main seat of Bagammangwato bogosi.
That is where we will always submit." For her part, Kgosi Lebang said although she was initially disappointed at having to cede the villages of Radisele, Mokgware and Mogome to Pilikwe, the facts were there for everyone to see regarding the decision of elevating Pilikwe. "If I did not appreciate this issue, I would not have come here to deliver it to you. Before coming here, Kgosi Serogola sat me down to explain to me why the decision was necessary and I understood fully hence I am here with Kgosi Tshipe," Kgosi Lebang said, adding that henceforward Radisele, Mokgware and Mogome will report to Pilikwe.