Balete Square Off Over Initiation Schools
Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday September 2, 2019 13:07
Mokgosi further said action would be taken against dikgosi who participated in the school. Ntlhayagodimo Kgotla in Ramotswa was on Saturday packed with Bamalete who had come to witness as 12 women graduated from bojale.
This is despite efforts by the village leadership to try and stop those who held the classes to do so and even went to the secret location to stop them. Following the event, Mokgosi said he was disappointed that the Registrar of Societies delayed in stopping the activities.
“We went to Registrar of Societies and they agreed with us that the association does not have permission to run initiation classes. They are supposed to just encourage and support initiation schools.
They should be working with the already existing structures. Only Kgosikgolo can authorise bojale,” he said.
Mokgosi said they were worried that if initiation schools were to be run by anyone like in South Africa it could be problematic.
Mokgosi and Kgosi Mosadi Seboko recently called a meeting calling for calm as angry morafe wanted action taken against those involved. Despite all the efforts to stop them, Maphalaola went ahead and completed the process on Saturday.
Even though Mosadi and Mokgosi did not attend, a large number of people attended the event amongst them area legislator, Samuel Rantuana.
Chairperson of the society, Selebogo Moremi is adamant that they did nothing wrong and would continue.
“We are the ones who started bojale and bogwera in Ntlhayagodimo and we are concerned that it has been three years now since men went to bogwera and their female counterparts were yet to go,” said Moremi.
“We consulted with bogosi, but they kept on giving us reasons as to why classes could not go on. We then decided to register this society so we could conduct the classes through it.” Moremi said their society has rights to conduct the classes and do not need Kgosi Mosadi’s authority. He said they were worried about moral decay of the society hence they fought hard to ensure that initiation classes continue.
“These schools are very important to us as they mould desirable members of the society. That is why we had to make sure that we maintain continuity,” he said.
Moremi said they were hopeful that those who have doubted their credibility should stop doing so as they are legally registered.
He said they would continue holding such classes in the future. Moremi said they had invited Kgosi Mosadi Seboko and other authorities.