Lerala residents petition Moroka to step down
Lindiwe Mozola | Tuesday September 12, 2017 16:57
The chairperson of the delegation that represented the residents, Cornelius Mathare told Mmegi that as residents they are fed up with Moroka’s leadership and want him out. Mathare said: “Residents signed the petition to the Ministry of Local Government (and Rural Development) through our area MP to call for Moroka to step down, who for a long time has not been leading the village well. He is a dictator who makes decisions affecting the village alone without the input of other village leaders and the people at large.”
to page 3
He stated that they have been trying by all means to sit down with Moroka in order to resolve their differences, but the latter is not willing to give them that chance as he continues to lead by oppression. Mathare said that this is the second petition following the first one in 2010 when they requested the then Minster of Local Government, Peter Siele to help restore peace in the village and call Moroka to order.
“Siele did address the issue and appealed to the villagers to forgive Kgosi, and assuring us things will be better moving forward. Unfortunately, this was not the case as things became worse.
Kgosi Moroka will still not consult the villagers when making decisions,” Mathare added. Lerala West councillor, Gabagopole Sebele also attested to what Mathare said, noting that Moroka is oppressive as a leader. He also said that the villagers also live in fear since he threatens to sue anyone who stands up to him and against his deeds.
He said that Moroka wants to decide everything without consulting his people although it is believed that the people should have a say in every development that happens in their area.
Sebele added that the recent issue, which has forced residents to sign the petition, is that Moroka is said to be going to school for some time, hence will hand over office to someone the villagers do not want.
“This was the last straw. We believe that Moroka did that deliberately to upset the villagers further since he knew that the person he wants to put in charge is someone the villagers will be against,” Sebele said. “Furthermore, Lerala residents are now living in fear and they are not free in their own land as every time they complain they are told they will be taken to court,” he said.
When contacted, Moroka said that he knows nothing about the signing of the petition, explaining that everything he does is within the merits of the law.
He said that people who are challenging him are motivated by politics and they are using their political powers to divide the village. He said that there is no law that empowers politicians to remove a Kgosi.
“The very same people who head the delegation that want to dethrone me are politicians, who are pushing their own agenda. It does not even surprise me to hear that they were gathered at the MP’s office to hand in the petition since they are politically motivated,” he said.
He threatened, as has been alluded by his detractors, that if he finds anything incriminating him in the petition, those responsible will be found liable, as he will sue for defamation of character.