Mokaila cajoles Sesana out of going to ICJ?

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Wednesday February 10, 2010 00:00

 

Speaking in an interview with Mmegi yesterday, Sesana, who lodged the famous Bushmen case against the government and won in 2006, described his meeting with Mokaila as disappointing.

Sesana says he was disappointed when Mokaila met him accompanied by many high-ranking ministry officials who fired salvos at him. ' Mokaila o ne a phuthile makoko okare ntsa di thasetse kukama ya poo maitseboa (Mokaila had gathered his officials against me , I  was feeling  like a male eland attacked by dogs during sun set'.

'He used strong language against me, and cajoled me in front of his people, I felt degraded. He also threatened not to speak with me any more ...O ne a nkgasa-kgasa a bo a tswelela phuthego (He was cajoling me before closing the meeting).'

Sesana says his altercation with Mokaila continued at New Xade  village on Thursday last week where  President Ian Khama was addressing  a kgotla meeting.

'I wanted to ask President Khama few questions at the Kgotla meeting but Khama did not speak, it was instead Mokaila who answered my question. I was not amused at all, more so that Mokaila told the meeting that he agreed with me to call a meeting, which was a lie. I was disappointed to have my question answered by my tormentor.'

Sesana claims that their meeting was organised by Attorney General, Athaliah Molokomme. 'Molokomme phoned me, and requested that we have a meeting.  Upon arrival she sent me to Mokaila to talk with him, but I was not expecting so many government officials against one man. ' We simply did not make any head way, because Mokaila did not agree with my presentation.

'I told him that before I could consider the government proposal, they must return to me all the goods they had confiscated from me when I tried to enter the CKGR immediately after we won the court case, that is when he began shouting at me,' Sesana said.

He further told Mmegi that at New Xade he wanted to ask President Khama why Bushmen's settlements are surrounded by farms. He says he also wanted Khama to confirm or deny whether he supports wildlife officers who continue to harass the Bushmen inside the CKGR in the name of the President. ' Khama did not respond at all. Only Mokaila and the Minister of Education and Skills Development Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi spoke. I interpreted that as meaning that President Khama endorses what the wildlife officers are doing to us,' Sesana told Mmegi.

Meanwhile, Minister Mokaila refused to discuss his meeting with Sesana despite Mmegi explaining that Sesana had made serious allegations against the minister's conduct at the Tuesday meeting.  After  learning about what Sesana said from  Mmegi, Mokaila said: '  We agreed that both parties will not take the issue to the media; so I am not at liberty to  divulge what transpired at the meeting,' said  Mokaila.