Khama Denies Gangwaketse Dikgosana Lunch Date Claims
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday July 8, 2019 14:01
Khama told The Monitor that the dikgosana had requested a meeting with him bemoaning unfair treatment by the President Mokgweetsi Masisi administration.
Bangwaketse on Friday met at their Kgotla after it emerged that their dikgosana had met Khama. At the meeting, dikgosana were cautioned against being politically active.
“I have not asked them to meet me and I know the roles of Dikgosi very well. They are the ones who had asked to see me on that day, but unfortunately I was not available in the morning and they were forced to come for lunch,” Khama said.
“It is true they complained that President Mokgweetsi Masisi wants them to declare their support for him, something that they are uncomfortable with and wanted procedure of how they could petition him to ‘Mmamosadinyana’,” he added.
Khama said he told them that they could do it through the British High Commission or go there directly.
He said some of those dikgosana told him that they were threatened and that they would be fired from their positions if they do not show their loyalty to the current President.
On Friday, deputy chief for Gangwaketse Kebapetse Telekelo told the tribe during the Kgotla meeting that they did not want chieftainship dragged into politics.
“Ga re bate bogosi jwa ga Ngwaketsi bo tsena mo sepolotiking. Ga re batle go tshelegelwa ke madi a kgofa. Mme re lemogile gore bangwe ba lona mahoko a, a gore bangwe baya go kopana le kgosikgolo nngwe ko Gaborone a fitile ka bone”.
Telekelo warned the tribe that they should stop trying to influence dikgosana to take part in issues of politics and that whoever continues to do that secretly as kgosana or dikgosana, action would be taken against them.
He continued: “Our role is very clear. It is to unite the tribe and accept everyone as our child. Let’s stop going to this lunch invitation as Bogosi, especially the ones coming from political leaders. It should be clear that Kgosikgolo Malope Gaseitsiwe II was not aware of this and that is why he was part of the meeting that had warned those dikgosana to desist from such actions”.
However, The Monitor has learnt that during the lunch meeting, Khama had asked dikgosana to assist him to influence the tribe to vote for his new party, Botswana Patriotic Front and promised that he would assist them financially, something he (Khama) denied.
According to a source, the dikgosana at Gangwaketse are divided on political issues and that is one of the reasons why others attend meetings secretly with politicians.
The Monitor has also learnt that action is likely to be taken against one of the senior representative who is alleged to be the ringleader.