Royal Feud For Moruleng Assets Continues
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday September 21, 2020 16:53
The North West High Court in Mafikeng on Friday refused to accept an attempt by Linchwe’s legal team to withdraw an application seeking an order to find that there is no royal family in Moruleng.
Judge Scholtz, who recently ruled in favour of Kgosi Kgafela II’s side and ordered Kgosi Nyalala Pilane to hand over the assets of the mineral-rich Bakgatla ba Kgafela to interim Kgosi Linchwe, agreed with Pilane’s side that the matter should proceed and be heard as part of the review application launched by Pilane.
The judge also ordered Linchwe to pay costs of suit.
Linchwe had filed an application seeking an order to find that there is no Royal Family in Moruleng, but later tried to withdraw the application upon receiving the answering affidavit from Pilane’s legal team.
However, Pilane’s legal team rejected Linchwe’s withdrawal attempt, arguing that only the court could grant such.
The Friday ruling comes just two days after Mafikeng High Court quashed the Premier’s application, which sought an order to find Pilane to be in contempt of the court order of September 3, directing that he (Pilane) should surrender the assets of Bakgatla to the Premier and Linchwe.
They had also asked the court to impose a fine and commit Pilane to imprisonment.
The latest court ruling now means Pilane is firmly in control of the Moruleng affairs.
Meanwhile, Pilane’s supporters on Friday marched to the premier’s office and the African National Congress (ANC) provincial office to hand over a memorandum demanding the North West Premier Job Mokgoro to step down as he broke his oath of office and has failed to execute his duties.
While the feud over the chieftaincy of Bakgatla Ba Kgafela continues, Pilane’s side has maintained that they are not prepared to abdicate the responsibility and “allow circling vultures who are ready to devour the community’s assets”.