Mareko hands baton to son

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Monday May 3, 2010 00:00

 

Kgosi Mark Mosielele was handing over the baton to his son Curty Kebinatshwene Mosielele after leading the Bahurutshe ba-ga-Manyana for 59 years. He has been Kgosi since 1951, and the fondness with which his people regard him is captured in their stories as they talk about him.  The event created an opportunity for some to share their hilarious recollections of the Kgosi's life.

In his short rendition Agisanyang Kgoadi left the crowd in stitches when he reminded the morafe about the chief's demand for clarity and how he would always scorn the ambiguous. In this particular case the Kgosi was presiding over a case where he asked the accused what his name was, to which the young man responded 'Ke Maswe' which the Kgosi understood to be a boastful statement meaning: 'I am ugly' or in slang, 'I am dangerous'. In anger he told the young man: 'Ke tla a raya basimane ba ba go tshwara ba go sebaola! ga ke a re o ntse jang, ka re o mang!' [I will instruct these young men to hold you and punish you thoroughly! I did not ask you what you are or how you look, but your name!'. It is said the King's anger only subsided when he was informed that indeed 'Maswe' was really the young man's name.

His quick, natural wit and good heart was also fairly captured. That seemed to make things easier for other dikgosi as they took to the podium to instruct his son Kebinatshwene on the profession - they had his father as a reference point.

'Kgosi Letlharapa o palangwa ke nonyane nngwe le nngwe' [The King is like a tree branch on which any bird can perch], said Kgosi Manyene Mangope of Bahutshe ba Lehurutshe in South Africa. Mangope is also Kgosi Mosielele's cousin. He reminded the new Kgosi to treat his people with fairness and respect.

'Above all it is humility that matters more if you are going to be a builder of the morafe,' he said and encouraged him to be a uniting force of his people. Mangope said that the reason why Kebinatshwene was not draped in leopard skin is because his father is still alive.

'That is because your father is still alive to give you direction,' he said.

Kgosi Mosadi Seboko, herself a niece of the retiring chief told the new chief to lead by example and avoid drunkenness, as a chief who gets drunk loses his people's respect.

'Take care of your people, consult and be truthful' she said.

House of chair Kgosi Puso Gaborone reminded the new Kgosi that other than being a leader, a Kgosi is also a repository and custodian of history.

'He is also a doctor that has to ensure that the people are at peace,' he said.

Gaborone said that lately young people were acceptable in leading their tribes as dikgosi and that it was upon them to ensure that bogosi does not lose the respect that people have for the institution.

'It is up to you to build your people. A true leader respects his people, is not biased, is faithful, takes good advice and is exemplary,' he said, adding that the chief should not be too lofty and forget those below. He pleaded with the Morafe to support the new Kgosi.

Earlier Local Government Minister, Lebonaamang Mokalake had commended Kgosi Mark Mosielele for handing over the reigns to his son.

'What you did in handing over the reigns to your son will save all of us a lot of problems. These days people fight over chieftainship - even non-royals may claim to be the rightful heirs to bogosi, but when you hand over as you did, we do not get such fights.'

Mokalake advised the new Kgosi to lead by axample.

'Respect the constitution. We would not want to hear, one of these days that you did something embarrassing,' he said.

Mokalake advised the Kgosi to respect all people 'including the so-called nonentities' as they will be the ones helping to shed light on the difficult cases that he will have to deal with.

'Be sensitive with what you say to people. Insensitive words and arbitration will only drive a wedge between you and your people,' he said and advised the Kgosi to consult with Bangwaketse Kgosi Makaba, in whose land the Bahurutshe settled in 1852 from South Africa.

'I understand you Bahurutshe want to be autonomous and have your own Paramount Chief. Given the sensitive nature of chieftainship issues, I will advise that you discuss the matter with Bangwaketse,' he said. ' You know these days, we never know how far people want to go when they says they want to be autonomous,' he said, revealing a deep-seated fear in government about the extent to which some Dikgosi were 'nation-building' to the extent that their jurisdictions became states within states.

Also present at the event were the dikgosi, Victor Suping of Bahurutshe of Huhudi and Kgosi Mabe of  Batlharo, who is also the chair of the South African House of  Chiefs.