Tawana rebukes Tawana Land Board for using royal name

Boniface Keakabetse | Tuesday January 14, 2014 17:21

 

Addressing a Kgotla meeting in the village on Friday Moremi said the Landboard has been infiltrated by foreigners and rich people fighting for control of the lucrative tourism concessions in the Okavango Delta.

He said the landboard is no longer honouring its mandate of being a custodian of land for the people and that it is under the control of the mafia.

He said he does not want his family name and that of his tribe associated with a 'hideous institution' like Tawana Landboard.

He challenged the Batawana to unite to face all their challenges together.

He said they have to learn that during a period of disharmony, the rich and powerful people with tourism interests will steal their land. Moremi said unity and compromise is a hard choice the people must make or kiss their land goodbye.

The outspoken Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) legislator also revealed that he would one day return to the chieftainship again.  He seems to be going back on his word, when in 2008 during the funeral of his uncle, Mathiba Moremi, he vowed never to return to the chieftainship.  Then, MP Moremi told mourners who included deceased Bangwaketsi chief, Kgosi Seepapitso that he would never allow his son Leatile Moremi to be a Kgosi when his time comes.

He charged that Bogosi has been killed by the central government and is no longer relevant in the country.

Now he sings a different tune.

At the Friday Kgotla meeting, Moremi also declared his support for the on-the-run Kgosi Kgafela II of the Bakgatla.

He said because of its naivety, the government fails to understand that Bogosi is a birthright that no one can take from a sitting Kgosi like in the case of Kgafela.

In response, some residents endorsed Moremi's position saying Bogosi is a God-created institution that no one or an elected government, can take from the owner.  One of the residents, Kegaisamang Ramokwena complained about the weakening of the Bogosi institution.

Moremi won the Maun West constituency under the Botswana Democratic Party during the last general elections after quitting the Bogosi to join politics. 

He then joined a BDP breakaway party, BMD, which he will represent as part of the opposition corporation project - Umbrella for Democratic Change, in the coming general elections.

  Moremi will contest the constituency against Reaboka Mbulawa of BDP and Patrick Lubinda of Botswana Congress Party in an election many tip to be tight.