Kgafela Mum On Return To Botswana

Innocent Selatlhwa | Monday February 19, 2018 16:24

 

He said Bakgatla, who ululated and whistled as he made the request, would be very happy to have Kgafela back on their shores. Khama in his response said he was ready to recognise Kgafela before he leaves the presidency.

“According to the Constitution of Botswana, only those who are Batswana and residing in the country can be recognised as Dikgosi. Tell Kgafela to come reside in Botswana and apply for citizenship. I will grant it to him and recognise him. You should hurry up because I have only six weeks left before I step down,” he said.

However, it is unclear whether Kgafela wants to come back home, at least for now. An effort to get a comment from his deputy Kgosi Bana Sekai hit a snag as he declined to comment on the matter.

“I cannot speak to you on this. You should have asked other people who were at the Kgotla, I am not the only voice of Bakgatla,” he said.

An effort was also made to get a comment from Kgafela himself through his close associate, Olebile Sikwane. The Kgosikgolo declined to comment. 

Kgafela is understood to have been in talks with the President on normalising their relationship. It is unlikely that Kgafela would rush to come back home as he is currently entangled in a bitter battle with his uncle, Kgosi Nyalala Pilane.

According to a WeekendPost, when responding to Pilane’s submissions during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into Bakgatla dealings in Rustenburg recently, Kgafela said his relation with the Botswana government had normalised.

This was after Pilane scoffed at him demanding that he (Kgafela) return to Botswana and leave them alone in South Africa.  He had challenged Kgafela to come back to Botswana and face his problems with the government of Botswana.

“I had my own problems with the Botswana government. It is between the Botswana government and me. It is not relevant to this commission. My problems with the Botswana government have been solved. They are almost solved, all of them.  You see, it is because it is Botswana issues. It is asked in Botswana, you must leave Botswana to Botswana, South Africa to South Africa.  Otherwise, we mix things and then we get derailed,” Kgafela was quoted.

In light of this, Kgafela is unlikely to come running to be given citizenship and recognition by Khama in the next six weeks.

Kgafela was derecognised by Lebonaamang Mokalake, the then Minister of Local Government on October 28, 2011 as provided for in the Bogosi Act of 2008.

Kgafela was de-recognised for having (a) frustrated government efforts to consult and communicate with Kgatleng community on developmental issues that affect the community; (b) abused his powers by ordering Dikgosana in Kgatleng to ignore and frustrate ministers’ efforts in their bid to hold meetings in the Kgatleng District.

Some time in June 2014, many Bakgatla marched to petition Khama to drop criminal charges laid against Bakgatla’s Kgosikgolo Kgafela so that he can return to the country and live peacefully.

Ever since then, Khama never responded to Bakgatla or went to address them. In their plenary meetings for his farewell, most Bakgatla called on those who were to speak to tell the President that he had torn their tribe apart.