Trust Leadership Election Divides Palapye
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday February 3, 2020 16:34
It appears the village is at war over the running of the trust. Last Wednesday villagers thronged the main Kgotla en masse to elect a new board that will manage the affairs of the troubled community trust.
The process was disturbed when an unnamed man, seemingly hell bent on preventing the elections from taking course, stole and escaped with the ballot box.
The deputy district commissioner, as the returning officer on the day consequently called the elections off. February 12 has been announced as a new date for fresh elections.
The ballot box suspect who is known to the police is still at large. Superintendent Begger Nawa revealed they had recovered the ballot box. It was found intact at the village library on the day of the mischievous events.
“He is a well-known resident in the village, and we are on his trail,” the Palapye Station Commander said, noting the suspect would be charged with common nuisance.
It has come to the fore that there are two divided groups of villagers that are at battle to manage the trust. Allegations are, the other group managed to implant their representatives in the previous board to advance its agenda.
A more youthful faction is purportedly fighting the developments. It is also challenging flawed processes that they felt went against the deed of trust. Other community members are out rightly contesting recycling of familiar names within the trust.
Kgosi Michael Maforaga is privy to the factions that are running parallel WhatsApp groups with intentions of taking over the management of the trust. He conceded the groups were fuelling divisions and setting the community on a warpath.
He admitted issues surrounding the running of the trust were causing desperateness particularly amongst the youth. The recent incident, he said highlighted how vexed the youth were and how desperate they wanted to take over management of the trust.
“There is nothing wrong with them taking over as long as they do it appropriately. They are informed and equipped. The issue is following the proper channels to elect their counterparts,” Maforaga said.
He was worried by the conduct of the ballot box thievery and felt the incident particularly undermined the Kgotla. Judging by pre elections riled posts in the village Facebook pages, Maforaga anticipated disturbance at the elections but not to such magnitude it happened.
He reckoned other problems that contributed to the developing misunderstanding amongst the community emanated from people’s none attendance of Kgotla meetings. Those who constantly attend pass resolutions that consequently make the regulations.
“Once perennial absentees hear decisions are made and don’t favour them, they attend the subsequent meeting to oppose and it cannot operate that way. We can’t reverse decisions to suit people who don’t attend meetings.”
Area Member of Parliament, Oneetse Ramogapi also acknowledged the divisions are putting the village in a precarious path. He suggested that handling of complaints from all quarters should be treated with sensitivity.
Ramogapi figured the trust had not been relevant to the people as many lacked knowledge of the assets.
Now with mushrooming of developments in land owned by the trust, the community is taking note, and everyone wants to be close. He said issues that have been taken lightly by the previous leaders of the trust were beginning to crop up and people are incensed. “That is what is causing all the tension.”
Ramogapi said people had been complaining relentlessly about awarding of tenders without following procedure.
“The community is complaining that companies are hand picked for huge tenders and people awarding those tenders are questionable.
Most importantly they complain of the worth of the trust to the community. Those are some of the things that people are in arms for,” he said.
He said the election procedure itself divides people, but advised that the right channels should be followed to address grievances. He condemned stealing of the ballot box.
“It was completely inappropriate, I would advice that those enraged seek assistance and follow lawful procedures lest they would be deemed renegades and risk not being taken seriously in future when they have very important arguments,” he said.