Bakgatla Ba Kgafela celebrate as Kgosi Kgafela’s charges are dropped
Larona Makhaiza | Friday December 12, 2025 10:36
Leading up to today’s (Thursday) engagement between Bakgatla and the Minister, Kgafela has been on self-imposed exile since May 2012. That was shortly after he was de-recognised as the Bakgatla Kgosi with an eventually warrant of arrest was issued against.
The warrant of arrest was issued after Kgafela failed to appear before court where he was facing a charge of unlawful flogging.
Now 13 years later, Kgafela’s anticipated return is imminent following Motshegwa’s pronouncement that the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government will not persecute him.
Motshegwa’s brief today in Mochudi, comes shortly after the Minister had embarked on a trip to the coast in Cape town, South Africa where he met with Kgafela to lay out matters and forge a new way forward.
“As government, we have established that there is literally nothing against Kgosi Kgafela and with that said all charges that Kgafela was facing have all been dropped against him,” Motshegwa said before the full kgotla.
Minister Motshegwa further announced that now that the impediments that had been before him to return to his birth right for the past 13 years have been scraped off, Kgafela is more than welcome in Botswana.
“The chief is now allowed back in Botswana and we can assure you, just as we have assured him that he is free to come back to the country and return to his seat without any challenges,” Motshegwa revealed.
However, the Minister who came bearing the good news for Bakgatla Ba Kgafela did not commit to the date as to when Kgafela will arrive in Botswana. He highlighted that his return date is his liberty and outlined that Kgafela will communicate the dates so that his tribe can warmly welcome him back.
To avert the precedence of such issues where Chiefs are bullied out of their chieftaincy by power hungry individuals, Motshegwa said government will soon establish strategies that will combat the mushrooming of such issues.
“We do not want such cases where people fight over Bogosi and because of that we will establish a traditional court that will oversee matters of Bogosi,” Motshegwa said.
Following Motshegwa’s address, Bakgatla Ba Kgafela expressed immense joy and pride that finally they will be able to break bread and butter with their chief who has been in exile.
One community member Thatana Moeng said he certainly cannot wait to welcome back their chief as the minister came bearing good news that Kgafela is now free.
“We are really happy with what Minister Motshegwa had to say to us about our Chief and we welcome their decision as it shows their character to ensure that he returns safe,” Moeng said.
Moeng’s words were complemented by Seletlo Molefe who said that finally they will not lose any ounce of sleep worrying about their chief.
“We have been waiting for years for our chief but after today our lives will go back to normal as the chief has been cleared. Due to this we will stop worrying about chief as he is a free man,” Molefe said.