Royals silent on Kgafela petition

Lerato Maleke | Friday June 13, 2014 16:01

 

 

The royal family, in particular Kgafela’s brothers Mmusi and Bakgatle, were conspicuously absent last week when hundreds of Bakgatla-Baa-Kgafela marched from one side of the village to the other to hand over the petition to Kgatleng District Commissioner, Wame Samapipi.

Also absent were Kgafela’s sister, Seingwaeng, and Mohumagadi Mma Seingwaeng, uncle and acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Mothibe Linchwe, as well as reinstated senior chief’s representative, Segale Linchwe.

Chiefly, Bakgatla are demanding that government withdraws the arrest warrant out on Kgafela, immediately recognises him as paramount chief, drops all outstanding criminal charges and “desists from making decisions concerning the bogosi and culture of Bakgatla-Baa-Kgafela without consulting morafe”.

Kabelo Mosweetsi, the secretary of the Mangana regiment, Kgafela’s mophato, told Mmegi that they were disappointed at the royal family’s reaction.

Mosweetsi said Bakgatla-Baa-Kgafela only want peace with government, adding that they would continue to invite members of the royal family even if they were snubbed.

“We followed the procedure by calling up the previous Kgotla meeting where a plan to hand over the petition was discussed,” he said. “I think we followed the right procedure because we engaged with morafe, the police and a number of government officials who guided us on how to hand over that petition.

“We had hopes of uniting the royal family since it seems it is divided.”

The Mangana regiment led last week’s petition march, which followed an all-night vigil at the main Kgotla. Sources within the royal family said the two brothers were fed up with the goings-on in Kgatleng bogosi.

“They are not prepared to face the media on this issue and are quite fed up with it,” the source said. Mosweetsi said they await Khama’s response and will decide on any other actions after that.