Kgafela pulls a no-show at Mamone Day celebrations
Bame Piet | Friday January 30, 2015 16:35
In two consecutive Kgotla meetings, Bakgatla were told that Kgafela, who took up residence among his subjects on the South African side following dispute with the government, would grace the Mamone Day event. Different dikgosi from South Africa’s nine provinces attended the event, which attracted thousands.
It however turned out the tribe had been sold a dummy in Kgafela’s name. “The people who organised the trip used Kgabo’s name to lure people to travel to Limpopo. Kgabo had never shown any interest in attending the event,” said a close family member.
Mangana chairperson Moagi Molebatsi insisted that those who travelled to Mamone were informed before their departure that Kgafela would not attend. “They knew when they left Botswana that Kgabo would not be in attendance. We informed them well in time,” he said, adding that they were aware that deputy chief Bana Sekai would represent Kgafela at the celebrations.
During the celebration ceremony, Sekai gave a brief history about the relationship of the Bakgatla-Baa-Kgafela and the royal Bapedi Kingdom, as well as their origins. He said Bakgatla’s origins could be traced to Mamone and Moruleng. He further said Bakgatla were originally Bapedi, but had along with other Bapedi offshoots such as Batlokwa of Kgosi Velaphe Mdhuli in Rustenburg, those of Kgosi Molefhe in the Vaal, the people of Kgosi Masopha in Poortjie and Kgosi Gaborone in Tlokweng formed their own sub-tribes and moved to different areas.
Prince Nelson Mampuru, younger brother to the current King Mampuru Mampuru III, corroborated Sekai’s narrative. He added that Bakgatla-Baa-Kgafela were scattered around Pretoria, Hammanskraal and Moruleng in South Africa, and Mochudi in Botswana.
The Mampuru Day festivities were a success. Among those in attendance were Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi, who described Kgosi Mampuru I as a great African fighter who would rather die than bow to white supremacists. Mampuru I was executed publicly by the Boers in 1883 for refusing to pay their hut tax.