Borolong, Chadibe In No Truce Over Shongochena
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday January 20, 2020 15:47
Residents of the two villages, have for a long time been engaged in an acrimonious dispute over where Shongochena ward-as residents of Borolong call it, or Dikgatho as Chadibe residents call it-is situated.
To say that the relationship between villagers is at an all time low would not be off the mark. The relationship between the villages has deteriorated to a point that it was no surprise that in the past, 954 residents of Chadibe led by the late Kgosi Aaron Nyambe took the Shongochena issue to the High Court.
They prayed with the court to enter judgement in their favour by declaring that the common boundary between Chadibe and Borolong villages is Tlhalogang River.
Nyambe also prayed with the court to declare that Shongochena ward’s rightful name was Dikgatho ward.
Said Nyambe: “The village of Chadibe is situated to the west of Borolong village. Between the two villages runs Tlhalogang river. In 1992, Chief Lebati decreed that the village of Chadibe lay between the rivers of Tlhalogang to the north and Razhoba to the south and at the confluence of the rivers of Shashe and Tlhalogang.”
He was referring to late Ngakaemang Lebati who deputised Bangwato regent, Sediegeng Kgamane.
However, the relationship between the residents of two villages over the Shongochena issue seems to have recently thawed if the words of some people from the two villages are to be believed.
Some sources told The Monitor that the applicants have since withdrawn their court application. However it was not possible to ascertain that claim. A source who attended the recent meeting over the Shongochena matter at Tlhalogang Junior School told The Monitor that Chadibe residents have not withdrawn their High Court application.
The source said that Kgosi Mmoloki Kajata of Chadibe told Kgosi Bokamoso Radipitse of Tonota who presided over the meeting that Chadibe residents have not withdrawn the matter. Efforts to contact Kajata were futile as he was said to be presiding over some customary court cases.
Sources who attended the meeting said that it was prematurely stopped when Radipitse was busy addressing the assembly.
Said one source: “While Radipitse was busy telling residents of the two villages the purpose of his visit-which was to pacify them over the Shongochena issue since it was affecting the delivery of developments in the ward-he received a telephone call from some people in Serowe telling him to stop the meeting. However, Radipitse did not reveal the name/s of people who told him to stop the meeting.”
Before the meeting was stopped, the source said, Radipitse told the gathering that the purpose of his visit was to get the name of the person who will become the headman of arbitration for Shongochena ward.
“Kgosi Israel Molema of Borolong had told Radipitse that residents of Borolong have already submitted the name of Keletso Mpatane to take over the chieftainship of Shongochena since she was the rightful heir to the throne as history can bear testimony.
Molema even told Radipitse that he had a court order that shows that residents of Chadibe have withdrawn their High Court application,” said the source.
In the same vein, the source added, Kgosi Kajata told Radipitse that residents of Chadibe have not withdrawn their court application.
Said the source: “Kajata also told Radipitse that residents of Chadibe have submitted the name of Namakando Wina to take over the chieftainship of Shongochena.”
When contacted for comment about the issue, Radipitse admitted that he indeed presided over the meeting last week Monday to try to pacify the people of the two villages.
Although he was cagey to reveal the details of the powers that be that had sent him, Radipitse said that the High Court case was affecting some developments projects in Shongochena.
“The standoff between the two villages was also denying the rightful heir(s) to the Shongochena chieftainship their birth right. You know very well that when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. The meeting was also stopped because it was not held at the Kgotla as procedure dictates,” said Radipitse.
Quizzed further about the issue, Radipitse was reluctant to state when the matter would resume, adding: “I can’t reveal the name/s of the people who told me to stop the meeting and the real reasons why the meeting was stopped.”