SA Group Mounts Pressure In Royal Feud
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Monday August 24, 2020 13:38
The groups in South Africa have joined forces to support Pilane in the fight for the chieftaincy against Bakgatla Kgosikgolo Kgafela Kgafela II and the newly installed Moruleng Kgosi Ramono Pilane Linchwe.
Last Tuesday, Bakgatla women from 32 villages in Moruleng handed their signed petition to the Rustenburg office of the minister responsible for bogosi in South Africa.
The new pressure group handed the latest petition amidst songs and marching. The petition raised almost similar arguments to the ones proffered by Bana-Ba-Bakgatla.
“We as mothers, are determined to emancipate ourselves and our community, in the interest of the future of our children from 21st century colonisation,” read their petition in part.
The women expressed unhappiness toward North West premier, Job Mokgoro’s decision to implement the findings of the Baloyi Commission, despite the same commission’s findings being challenged in court by Pilane’s side.
The petitioners also said while they acknowledged the existing family links between Bakgatla in Moruleng and in Mochudi across the border, laws of different jurisdictions govern them.
They argued that it was wrong for premier Mokgoro to assume they are one tribe governed by one law.
They referred to Kgafela II’s claim to the Moruleng throne, as alien interference in Moruleng chieftaincy. They argued that the South African constitution should have taken precedence when deciding the matter.
At the end, the women’s lobby group said premier Mokgoro recognised a foreign royal family to have powers over their community in South Africa while denying the existence of the royal family in Moruleng, which is recognised by the constitution of South Africa.
The women’s petition further rejected, “the colonial powers granted to the so-called royal family in Mochudi, Botswana, to make decisions on behalf of us as citizens of South Africa”.
The petition further lambasted the premier for failure to make effort to interact with the Moruleng community.
The women of Moruleng gave South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa an ultimatum to instruct Mokgoro to withdraw the implementation of the Baloyi Commission report, to reinstate Pilane and withdraw recognition of Linchwe.
They also want Kgafela II and his mother investigated for their acquisition of their South African citizenship.
They also accuse Kgafela II of stealing a vehicle belonging to the Moruleng traditional administration whose registration number was found by the South African Police Service affixed to a different vehicle driven by Kgafela II.
“The premier has also trampled on Pilane’s right to human dignity,” the women stated in the petition.
Meanwhile, Pilane has rejected a meeting with Kgosi Linchwe. Kgosi Linchwe had proposed a meeting meant to facilitate a handover following his recognition as Bakgatla Kgosi in Moruleng.
Through his attorneys, Pilane said he will face the wrath of the communities if he were to meet or be seen to be associating with Kgosi Linchwe.
“In the result, our client will not meet with you tomorrow on August 21, 2020. This letter will be brought to the attention of the presiding Judge hearing the counter application on September 18, 2020,” read part of the letter from Pilane’s attorneys.