Kgamane laments erosion of Bogosi

Pini Bothoko | Friday July 11, 2014 14:29

Speaking to Jamataka residents this week, Kgosi Kgamane noted that every time there is a conflict, some non-royals fancy themselves chiefs.

He noted that reports arrived at his Kgotla in Serowe of ordinary people committing sacrilege by challenging the legitimacy of their chiefs.

“Of recent we have seen even young people interfering in issues of Bogosi, challenging the law even if they understand that chieftainship issues do not concern them because they are not from the royal families,” said Kgamane when approached by Mmegi after the meeting.

He said when Kgotla meetings are held, at which residents discuss and take decisions on issues affecting their village and chieftainship, those who were conspicuously absent will disagree with the decisions and hence report the matter to them in Serowe.

“For years this issue seems to have become the norm in the country. We are inundated with cases of people writing letters of complaints to us challenging their chiefs. Those people do these things out of ignorance and at times this causes unnecessary conflicts in the communities,” he said.

Kgamane said that this has to come to an end because Bogosi is a birthright not something that is voted for, as some people think it should be.

He said some people have a tendency of undermining the chieftainship because of their level of education, their tribe or even their social status.

“These cases are prevalent and they worry us because it brings disorder within communities and also retards progress as such cases take a long time to dispose of,” said Kgosi Kgamane.

He said that people should know the importance of attending Kgotla meetings and understanding that decisions taken at those meetings affect all residents.

“A Kgotla is a high profile setting and should be respected together with the decisions made there because this is a place where every person has to agree or disagree on an issue and at the end a solution should be taken.

“I am worried that Batswana no longer respect the Kgotla like in the past, “ said Kgosi Kgamane.

Kgosi Kgamane went on to say that another issue that concerned him was villages fighting over their boundaries.

He said some villages want to increase their populations by annexing portions of neighbouring villages in order to be able to qualify for resources when their population have increased.

Kgosi Kgamane gave an example of the dispute between Borolong and Chadibe villages that are locked in a bitter war over a portion of land popularly known as Shongochena.

He said they resolved the issue some time back in 2010 and declared that that ward belonged to Borolong village in the presence of the two-village leadership.

“The then Local Government Minister Lebonaamang Mokalake addressed the case and decided that the area belonged to Borolong.

Kgosi Kgamane said that he was shocked recently reading in a newspaper that this issue was still existing and that Chadibe residents challenged the ruling at the High Court, which ruled in their favour.

“This is worrisome to us as Dikgosi because it shows people no longer respect our rulings. We are pleading with you to listen and respect us as Dikgosi. We are in this position because we understand this country and the history of our villages and where they originate from,” Kgamane said.