The headless tribe and opportunistic politicians
Lerato Maleke | Friday May 9, 2014 14:05
It is 8:30am at the main Kgotla in Mochudi. Members of the Bakgatla tribe have already arrived in numbers and are seated although it was announced the previous day that the meeting would start at 9:00am.
There are no dikoma and ululations this time. The situation is so tense as if this is a funeral. I quickly remember the funeral of the late Kgosi Linchwe II, (Kgafela’s father), which was held at the same place. There are no insults and passing of jokes as usual, everybody looks serious especially the Mangana (Kgafela’s mophato), sitting opposite the tribeswomen.
This follows Statutory Instrument No. 36 of 2016 of April 11, 2014, which reads as thus “Bana Sekai has been prohibited from purporting to exercise the functions of Kgosi of the Bakgatla tribe,” adding that “no person shall treat him as Kgosi of Bakgatla tribe”. The document stated that this is in exercise of the powers conferred on minister Peter Siele by section 26 (1) of the Bogosi Act.
The tribesmen and women are seated in their usual positions under two different BDF tents, opposite each other, facing the chiefs. Thanks to the District Commissioner’s office in Mochudi for the BDF tents that they erected as temporary offices for Tribal Administration officials at the Kgotla. However, Mmegi notices that Sekai, Kgafela’s uncles, acting president of the Customary Court of Appeal, Mothibe Linchwe, the reinstated chief’s representative Segale Linchwe and Kgafela’s brothers, Mmusi and Bakgatle, sister Seingwaeng and mohumagadi mma Seingwaeng have absconded.
The headmen, two members of the royal family (unknown), Kgatleng politicians including MPs Isaac Mabiletsa and Gilbert Mangole are sitting under a traditional arena made from the Moologa tree. This arena was erected a long time ago as a temporary structure, paving way for the new big arena, which is still on the pipeline. However, sources say that the money donated by the tribe has long disappeared. The deputy chief Bana Sekai has long demanded an audit but to no avail.
It is now 9:30am; the MC former primary teacher Moagi Molebatsi takes the podium.
For the first time since the bogosi impasse in Kgatleng the tribe showed remorse. Molebatsi warns against insults before the start of the meeting, including government and that they should show that they really want peace this time around. “We are not expecting a war in this meeting particularly against anyone and government. Your contributions should be positive and avoid using vulgar language as much as you can and I am not saying you shouldn’t express yourselves,” he advises. Molebatsi announces that the decision to petition Khama came up with members of Mangana regiment and “that Bakgatla want peace with government. He says that this will also be done for the betterment of this country. Molebatsi adds that Bakgatla have been respected all over the country particularly for their culture and that they should now make a u-turn and trace their roots, stressing that this would also benefit other Batswana, hence peace and stability in the country.
Then comes reverend after reverend, all praying for the tribe to unite with government and accomplish its mission. First is Reverend Bokole, then followed by Dibeela who all give words of wisdom. Bokole describes Kgafela as a wise man who led the Bakgatla like Moses who led the people of Israel. Further he prays that God be with Kgafela and his family on the other side of the border until he comes back to Botswana.
After the MC, one Kabelo Moswetsi, not a royal family member, but a secretary of Mangana regiment takes the podium. He says that they came together as a mophato and strategised on how they could assist Sekai. He says that this was done according to what Kgafela taught them, adding that he (Kgafela) has always been warning them to act as a mophato whenever a problem erupts. He says that they are also doing this because Kgafela has on several occasions asked the tribe how it was saving him and that this is the right time to act. Although government has added Sekai onto a list of prohibited chiefs, Moswetsi argues that they would still recognise him as Kgosi. “Those who are in power should remember that ours is a chief ordained by birth, and not elected by government. Government should also tell us why Sekai was derecognised because in a letter written to him it not clearly stated what he did. There is only a sentence that he explains that he caused a division within the tribe in the last Kgotla meeting”, further explains Moswetsi. Therefore he makes an announcement that the Mangana has taken a decision to petition President Ian Khama regarding both the derecognition of their Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela Kgafela II, as well as his deputy Bana Sekai Linchwe.
In the draft petition the tribe demands that both Kgafela and Sekai be reinstated and carry their duties as Bakgatla chiefs and that Kgafela’s warrant of arrests be dropped. Further, the document explains that they want to see Kgafela back in Mochudi Kgotla, entering the main Kgotla accompanied by Khama, to show that all is well. Moswetsi announces that the petition is expected to be handed to the District Commissioner’s office on June 7. However, the Mangana regiment says that they might be some changes, as they haven’t yet consulted with the District Commissioner’s office. The mophato further wants the petition to be handed in on a Saturday to allow the tribe to come in large numbers.
Moswetsi argues that both the Bogosi Act and minister Peter Siele do not have the powers to ban Sekai since he was installed by Kgafela, therefore Siele should have consulted Kgafela and heard what he had to say about Sekai. Further, some members of the tribe say that they would continue to address Sekai as their chief and also engage him in Kgotla meetings. Apparently Moswetsi says that they are waiting, as the tribe, to hear if there is anything wrong that Sekai did “As far as Bakgatla are concerned Sekai has done nothing wrong,” he asserted. According to the letter that Sekai received it was only stated that he (Sekai) further divided the tribe at the March 1 Kgotla meeting held in Mochudi.
Moswetsi cautions against making a replacement as that would be equivalent to “chasing away Kgafela from his bogosi.” The tribe also lambasts Advocate Sidney Pilane who at the March Kgotla meeting opted for a replacement hence labelled Bakgatle as the senior tribesman at the moment, contrary to the tribe’s stance that Sekai is the most senior person after Kgafela. Kgosana Jabavu of Morema (Kgafela and Sekai’s loyalist) takes the podium and says it is imperative that the royal family attends. One of the eldest Dikgosana, Mmodisa Mmodisa of Mabodisa shares the same sentiments and advises that the royal family should have attended. However, he says that he is not prepared to share a word in their absence concerning Sekai’s ban.
Now the MC announces that it time for Kgatleng politicians to make their contributions. This time around they came in numbers and now take advantage of the Kgotla meeting and use it as a platform for their campaigns. Most opposition councillors have now joined MPs Isaac Mabiletsa and Gibert Mangole of Botswana Congress Party (BCP) and Botswana Movement for Democracy (BMD) respectively. Among the councillors who attended were the Kgatleng District Council (KDC) chair Tona Mooketsi, Pholoma Kgetse of Moshawana, Molefe Molefe of Boseja South, Mpho Morolong of Boseja Central and former BCP councillor in Gaborone, Molefe Mosothwane, now a BCP council candidate in Mochudi. Usually the ruling party councillors do not attend the Kgotla meetings.
Mabiletsa grabs the microphone as he takes his turn. As usual he supports the Bakgatla chiefs and still indicates that he can die for them. Mabiletsa castigates President Khama saying that he is afraid of dialogue. He cites the past public strike where he says that Khama dropped a delegation that was supposed to meet “only because MP Nehemiah Modubule was on the list”, he states, amidst laughter. He says that the delegation was elected by the general assembly to meet him although he rejected some of its members. He makes it known that he has long opposed the Bogosi Act and that when the then minister Margaret Nasha changed the Chieftainship Act to Bogosi Act, he opposed it since it was taking all the chief’s powers and giving the minister more. “Now they are forcing her to dance their tune with one leg” says Mabiletsa amidst laughter, adding that they are planning against her coup.
Therefore Mabiletsa ponders if Khama will accept the petition arguing that he would first want to know who he is meeting. He says that having stayed for such a long period without the Kgosi Kgolo is really frustrating. However, he indirectly warns those who have been voting BDP, and says that they should change the regime. “If you have been going to Dutch Reformed church because its your parent’s church, you better change now,’ he asserted.
Mangole too shares the same sentiments arguing that if need be he would either be killed or jailed for supporting Bana Sekai. Mangole warns that what happened with the Bakwena Bogosi during Kgosi Sebele’s reign should not be allowed in Kgatleng. He vows that if anyone is to be killed for calling Sekai a chief, he would be the first.
Now Mooketsi is on the floor. He says that the tribe shouldn’t be polite when discussing the Bogosi issue. “In the petition we should instead demand that our chiefs be reinstated not to kneel down to Khama”, he asserts. Mooketsi says that the tribe should also open a trust fund so that if they fail with the petition, they can consult the courts. The tribe agrees and a trust is opened. Already caps are going around and money is being collected.
Now it is councillors Pholwana Kgetse and Molefe Mosothwane who openly tell the tribe that they can only win and punish the ruling party in the next general elections by voting it out. “Come October! Show them who you are and punish them”, says Kgetse. Mosothwane too says that Bakgatla should change the regime by punishing BDP, adding that this can only be achieved by casting a vote against those who are in the regime.
The tribeswomen ululate most of the time when the opposition councillors are on the floor. In one of the Kgotla meetings, Bana Sekai appealed to the tribe to register in numbers during the supplementary registration but then Sekai takes a u-turn and says that “I am not saying you should go and vote BDP, I am saying go and register,” said Sekai.
However, after the meeting Mabiletsa says that all politicians in Kgatleng have a bond with Bogosi particularly Kgafela. “This is not new. Kgafela has been using them to even advertise Kgotla meetings,” he argues. Mabiletsa says that the Saturday Kgotla meeting needs strong voices, “for instance those of the politicians”.
It is after midday, it is now hot, the tribe is roasting under the sun but the meeting continues.