Maape residents threaten boycott over chieftaincy wrangle

Gasebalwe Seretse | Friday March 28, 2014 15:35

Speaking in an interview with Mmegi, two concerned Maape elders confirmed that they had indeed told the Pilikwe-Maape councillor, Gadialala Moiname that they will not be voting alongside the rest of Batswana this year.

“We have long registered our complaint with Sediegeng Kgamane that we don’t want Rantsiapana as our chief but he has snubbed us.

“We are going to punish the government by not voting this year,” said Arabang Ramotsoka.

Ramotsoka claimed that a large majority of the Maape people want the contender to the throne, Sehudi Thobokwe.  He described Thobokwe as a humble servant of the people. He said that the name the people of Maape nominated as the person they want to be headman of records of the village was that of Thobokwe not Matshwenyego Rantsiapana.

Ramotsoka further described Rantsiapana as haughty with a youthful persona, which he (Ramotsoka) said disqualified Rantsiapana as a leader.  The elder also described Rantsiapana as an inexperienced youth who was not supposed to lead the village.

However, when contacted, Ratsiapana denied he was an aloof and arrogant leader.  He said that he was surprised that some elders claimed not to know that his ward is the most senior in Maape, making him the rightful chief.

“It will also be unfortunate if a section of Maape people deny themselves the right to vote,” he said.

He said that his faction was not happy that despite several attempts to get Bangwato regent, Sediegeng Kgamane to address the issue, he has been delegating his juniors to handle the matter. Ramotsoka said that Rantsiapana was indeed a headman but said his chieftaincy did not extend beyond the Mathibatsela Ward and as such they have engaged a lawyer to contend their case.

“We think the only way to show government we are serious about this issue is not to vote this year,” Ramotsoka said.

Another elder who did not want to be named fearing victimisation said that a large majority of Maape people have sworn not to vote if the government chooses not to listen to them.

“We were asked to choose a person who should be our headman of records and we sent the name of Thobokwe to Kgamane.  Surprisingly soon afterwards, he sent Bangwato elders to install Rantsiapana and no explanation was offered for that.

“We asked Kgamane to come here and explain why he chose Rantsiapana, but he decided to ignore us.  We even sent a delegation to Serowe, but he snubbed us. The only way to make government listen to us is by boycotting the elections,” he said. Moiname expressed regret that some individuals were planning to boycott the elections saying that it was not a wise move. “Chieftaincy issues should not be mixed with politics. These people should vote as that is their democratic right,” he said.

Maape is a BDP stronghold in the Pilikwe-Maape Ward. For his part, Kgamane dismissed allegations that he was to blame for the state of affairs in Maape. “I asked the people of Maape to nominate their own headman of records and the name that they came up with is that of Rantsiapana.  I then appointed him, acting upon their choice and I wonder why they are pointing fingers at me. There is no way I can choose a chief for them,” he said.

Kgamane further said factionalism was to blame for the status quo in the Tswapong village.