Serule councillor, Dikgosi at loggerhead
Onalenna Kelebeile | Wednesday July 8, 2015 15:47
P680,000 project at the centre of conflict
At the centre of the conflict is a P680,000 project, which the councillor says is at risk of being stolen from the community. In a heated Kgotla meeting on Monday, some residents called for the sacking of Mabutho, after dikgosi pronounced strained relations between them and the councillor. Kgosana Keitsemodimo Keraetswe told the meeting that there is no peace in the Kgotla, and that the councillor doubts the legitimacy of Kgosi Oletile Modisa. Keraetswe said the councillor has also questioned what he viewed as Kgosi’s close relationship with the losing candidates in last year’s general elections.
Another Kgosana, Dintle Masilo said the village has had four councillors in the past, but never seen a situation where the councillor controls the whole village and holds dikgosi at ransom. Masilo said he is one of dikgosana who were deposed by Mabutho.
“The councillor is accusing our chief of blocking developments in the village yet he is the one who has been elected to bring such into the village. The councillor overrules any decision that our chief makes and endorses his own. Our village is as good as dead. He has even threatened to take us to court,” he said.
Another Kgosana alleged that for the seven months that the councillor has been in office he has never addressed villagers to give them a progress report from the council meetings. In response, the villagers promised to support the traditional leadership. They said they have long sensed the rift between the two authorities.
“We are happy that finally you came to appeal to us as the community and we pledge our support for you. If you are cowards then deploy us as your subordinates. Our village chieftainship is not a skipping rope,” said Lefetsakgang Mkhondo.
Another resident urged the villagers not allow somebody to come and sow seeds of discord in the village while he is expected to bring developments.
“It is evidently clear that there is serious tension in the village that is why even the civil servants who support the councillor have decided to stay away from the meeting,” said Mompati Muzingwane.
The Kgotla roared to deafening applause when one resident said the time has come for the villagers to take a bold step and call for the sacking of the councillor.
But not all fell in with the disgruntled chiefs.
Toteng Gabanakgosi defended Mabutho saying the community is to blame. “I would like our traditional leaders to tell us reasons why they are being troubled by the councillor. If there was an issue the councillor could have been summoned to show him his mistakes. It is only that you fear the truth,” he said. A village elder, Bojaboswa Lesego noted that the councillor is viewed as an enemy of peace because he does not condone corruption.
“He had asked Dikgosi to introspect and see if they are being blamed for the wrong they have not done or what. I have been in the tribal office for a long time and I know what is happening. In Serule if you tell the truth you become a bad one. I want independent investigations to be conducted to establish if the councillor is harassing dikgosi and why,” he said.