Kgafela II supporters lose court battle
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Friday November 27, 2020 15:36
The application launched by Premier Mokgoro, Phineas Tjie and Kgafela’s right hand man Linchwe, sought the court to interdict, restrain and prevent Pilane’s supporters from hindering, impeding, obstructing or otherwise preventing the applicants or persons authorised by them from entering and leaving the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela (BBK) Tribal Office premises.
It also wanted the court to interdict, restrain and prevent everyone who is now, or will in the future, be at or inside or outside the tribal premises from utilising, managing, controlling and safeguarding them and their contents.
While Pilane did not oppose the application, some of his supporters led by Keobiditse Lephogolo took it upon themselves to “defend the assets of the Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela Community in court”.
In his affidavit, Lephogolo laid bare the attempts by Linchwe to unlawfully take occupation of the BBK Tribal Office, through local police relying on an order that has been suspended in its operation.
Lephogolo disclosed to the Court that Linchwe tried to invade the BBK offices with a “mob who were transported from” Sefikile with five minibus Taxis.
On Monday, November 23, 2020, Deputy Judge President Roland Hendricks of the North West dismissed with costs Linchwe’s urgent application.
Pilane and his supporters have welcomed the Court’s judgement which they believed effectively cement their authority and powers in the Moruleng chieftaincy.
“Kgosi John Molefe Pilane and the Royal Family in Moruleng would like to make use of this opportunity to express their sincere gratitude to members of the community for their determination and resoluteness in defending the assets of the community against the mob led by a pretender to the BBK throne, Ramono Linchwe,” read a statement released by Segale Pilane on behalf of Pilane.
Kgosikgolo Kgafela II and Pilane have been embroiled in a series of bruising legal battles after Premier Mokgoro derecognised Pilane replacing him with Kgafela II’s ally early this year.
Pilane’s derecognition was a direct result of a campaign that Kgafela II had waged for a long time, after a conflict between the two started when he (Kgafela II) questioned Pilane’s handling of tribal finances.