Bakgatla elders want Sekai out

Lerato Maleke | Monday March 3, 2014 15:25

 

Influential lawyer and tribesman Sidney Pilane told the highly charged meeting that it is time they remove Sekai. Kgafela’s brother Mmusi had earlier labeled Sekai a difficult man who cannot be trusted, who also sows seeds of discord in the royal family, and has also made relations between Bakgatla and government irreconcilable.

Sekai, who seemed to have the support of the tribesmen at the Kgotla, was also on the warpath, labeling the Kgafela brothers, Mmusi and Bakgatle traitors who are hell-bent on toppling Kgafela and him (Sekai) from the Bakgatla throne.

 Pilane even made Sekai’s tribal position look insignificant when he told the tribe that according to the Bakgatla custom, it is actually Bakgatle, who is the most senior tribal official, after Kgafela, not Sekai, arguing that the Bakgatla custom does not have a deputy chief. Pilane says the deputy chief is a title introduced by government for a government employee.

However, Pilane was booed by Sekai’s supporters.  Pilane said that government has given them enough time and that they should look for Sekai’s replacement as the tribe before government acts.

The Kgafela brothers showed the tribe during the meeting that they are fed up with what is happening with their brother’s bogosi and that they want peace and Kgafela to come back to Botswana.

The Saturday meeting revealed that all is not well with the royal house, as well as the entire bogosi within Kgatleng. It has emerged that Sekai, Kgafela’s brothers, Mmusi and Bakgatle and dikgosana no longer trust one another, resulting in a divided tribe.

It was clear on Saturday that the deputy chief has been deserted by not only the Kgafela brothers’ but also by the likes of former special advisor to former President Festus Mogae Sidney Pilane, Royal uncle and former MP and Minister Ray Molomo, famous businessman Letlotlo Kopong, Former Bakgatla Deputy Chief and now the president of Customary Court of Appeal Mothibe Linchwe, Kgafela’s uncle Segale Linchwe, among others.

 Kgosi Kgafela’s brother, Morena Mmusi openly told the Kgotla meeting that Sekai is a troublemaker and that he no longer trusts him. He said that they have on several occasions held closed door meetings with his Sekai, together with Dikgosana, whereupon they agreed that Sekai should refrain from using vulgar language and also refrain from always attacking government.

Mmusi says Sekai’s crude manners have resulted in government refusing to renew his contract, and said the bogosi has fallen apart and something needs to be done.

He said that before the Kgotla meeting, he met with Dikgosana, to consult Sekai together with Pilane. Something that Sekai did not take kindly to.  Mmusi also informed Bakgatla that he never held a Kgotla meeting with Dikgosana behind Sekai’s back. He said that Sekai knew and that he was surprised why his uncle did not attend. However, Mmusi said that they kept on calling Sekai at the time reminding him of the meeting and he finally came. However, he said that tensions also hit the ceiling during the same Kgotla meeting and that Sekai told him off that he (Mmusi) did not have the authority to call such a meeting.

However, Sekai who spoke with pride said that he has informed Kgafela that his brothers have overthrown him  (Kgafela) and that now they want to also overthrow him (Sekai). However, both Mmusi and Bakgatle said that they do not have an interest in their brother’s bogosi and that they have never planned a coup against Kgafela and Sekai.

Bakgatle said that Kgafela is the rightful heir to the throne and that if he feels that he (Kgafela) no longer wants bogosi, its obvious that his son Matshego would take over, “not us”.