Dispute mars bogosi jwa Ditladi

Chakalisa Dube | Friday May 24, 2019 14:04

This came after the attorneys representing Lechedzani Kemmonye wrote a letter to the director of Tribal Administration stating that the appointment of any person other than Lechedzani as Kgosi of Ditladi be declared null and void. Attorney Morgan Moseki represents Lechedzani.

“The minister has already made an appointment. I am currently working on arrangements for a ceremony or meeting where Kgosietsile will officially be unveiled to the people of Ditladi.

The initial meeting that was scheduled to officially unveil Kgosietsile did not materialise for reasons I cannot share with the media,” Sakwapa told Mmegi yesterday.

, who acknowledged receipt of the letter from Moseki, added that because the minister has already approved Kgosietsile as Kgosi, the only alternative for those who are opposed to the decision would be to go to court.

Sakwapa was not willing to discuss much about issues relating to bogosi disputes in Ditladi.

Lechedzani, through his attorney has threatened that should he hear nothing from the director within 10 days of the date of his letter, he shall proceed to issue a statutory notice to the Attorney General to have the appointment set aside.

The attorney wrote the letter to the director on Thursday last week after learning that Tati Siding, Kgosi Simon Nkageng would appear at Ditladi Kgotla on May 17, 2019 to officially announce the appointment of Lechedzani’s half brother, Kgosietsile, as the village Kgosi.

Nkageng reportedly appeared at the Kgotla on Friday, but said that he could not oversee a process to officially unveil Kgosietsile. He reportedly said that he did not want to be seen to be meddling in issues surrounding the bogosi of the village.

Nkageng was not willing to discuss contents of his Friday meeting and referred all enquiries from Mmegi to Sakwapa.  Lechedzani, whose father was a kgosi in Ditladi died in 2012 and he (Lechedzani) argues that he is the rightful heir to the throne.

According to the letter from Lechedzani’s attorney, his father (Kemmonye Letamo) passed on in April 2012 and he was ultimately chosen as his successor.

The contents of the letter further state that members of the community and Kgosi Nkageng also attended a meeting where Lechedzani was chosen as a replacement to his father without any dispute.

According to the contents of the letter because he was still young, Lechedzani designated his paternal aunt, Gaobodiwe Gabanamotse to hold fort for him for five years until he came of age and was ready to take over.

“There was no issue at the time. In other words, instructions are that there were no objections to both his appointment to succeed his father and for the appointment of his aunt on a temporary basis to hold fort for him,” read the letter to the tribal administration. 

The letter from M.C.M Moseki Attorneys further highlighted that the appointment of Lechedzani followed key provisions of the Bogosi Act. 

“A Kgosi may, after consultation with people of the area at a Kgotla in the customary manner and with the approval of the Minister, recognise any person as his or her moemelakgosi in respect of any area of his or her tribal area and may in a like manner terminate the appointment,” reads part of the act quoted in the letter from Lechedzani’s attorneys.’

Moseki added that indications were that since his client’s appointment was made in 2013, such appointment was never reversed.

The attorney also said that the tribal authority also approved the appointment of Lechedzani’s aunt under the full information that she was holding the fort for none other than the former.

Furthermore, Lechedzani through his attorney said that things took a nasty turn when he came of age and was ready to assume his mandate as Kgosi.

He said that he made communication to his aunt that he was ready to take over in December 2017. He noted that he was shell-shocked when he learnt that his appointment was now an issue yet nothing untoward had occurred before.

Lechedzani’s aunt reportedly intimated that Kgosietsile is the rightful person to take over as Kgosi. Details are sketchy as to why Lechedzani’s aunt wanted Kgosietsile to take over.

At the time of going to press it was not clear as to how the minister could have reached a decision to appoint Kgosietsile.

The North East District Tribal Authority in the past dispatched three chiefs Sebangani Mosojani, Thuso Ramokate and Kutlwano Matengu to Ditladi in a bid to resolve the dispute to no avail. On Wednesday Moseki told Mmegi that he was yet to hear from the director of tribal administration.