Tribalism fears between Bangwaketse and Barolong
Mpho Mokwape | Monday May 19, 2014 16:06
Many expressed unsettling feelings during a Kgotla meeting in Kanye on Saturday at which the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Peter Siele was consulting on the establishments of districts and sub districts.
Siele had earlier told residents that Barolong, led by their Paramount Chief, Kgosi Lotlamoreng II, had requested that the Borolong sub district be declared a fully-fledged district in order to make service provision easy.
He told residents that the majority of villages, precisely 29 of them, fall within the Barolong Tribal Territory, totalling a population of 25,452 while 16 villages fall within the Ngwaketse Tribal Territory with 22,296 people. This is followed by six villages along the Molopo River, still the Ngwaketse area with a population of 6,802, therefore adding up the Ngwaketse population to 39,098.
When the Kanye residents were given a chance to air their views on the matter, they had sung a different tune, some accusing the Barolong of trying to take what rightfully belongs to them. They argued that some of the villages drafted under Borolong belong to Ngwaketse.
Some said that Barolong was made a sub-district merely because other villages belonging to Bangwaketse tribe were drafted into them to balance the number in order for it to function as a sub-district hence their decision to break away was causing tension.
Tesidents had argued that the Barolong’s move to totally break away from the Bangweketse could only spark tribalism issues as Bangwaketse may resort to other tactics to try and get what belongs to them resulting in unnecessary commotion.
Even though many were not against the Barolong getting their own district, they felt that some of the areas that belong to Ngwaketse should not be drafted under Borolong region.
Residents had decried that Barolong are forgetting that they have a chunk of land that used to belong to Bangwaketse but as tribes they felt were their cousins they decided to give the land to them in good faith. Some even accused politicians of dividing the tribes.
“This is the doing of Kitso Mokaila. He is trying to divide the two tribes by bringing politics into the matter and we cannot let him ruin our relationship with the Barolong tribe as he is only looking out for his political interest,” said one disgruntled resident.
Dikgosi from surrounding villages including Kefitlhile Kgwakgwe of Digawana and Kwelagobe Ramookodi shared the same sentiments of the residents, stressing that if the Borolong region feels it has grown and it needs to stand on its own, it should comprise only of villages belonging to theirs not from Ngwaketse.
Kgwakgwe said the laws of the country are forever changing and that allowing other villages from the Ngwaketse District to join Borolong might create unnecessary problems for them in future therefore they should prepare for that.
“If it was by me, I would say that things should remain the way they are to avoid conflicts arising from tribal territories,” he said. In response, Siele asked the angry Kgotla to calm down, saying the decision to declare Borolong a fully-fledged district has not been taken as they are still consulting. He said because such decisions are not taken in a hurry, the consultations with the dikgosi, Bangwaketse and Barolong would continue.
“We are not saying Borolong has been declared a district, and were are not saying any village from the Ngwaketse will fall under the Borolong. We are simply informing you that they had put together that request as they felt they have grown and that is why we are here today to consult and get your views and opinions on the matter,” he said.