Our Chief Was Abducted-Bakgatla

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Monday November 1, 2010 00:00

 

The royal with his younger brother Mmusi and 11 Bakgatla went into hiding last Wednesday shortly after chief magistrate, Barnabas Nyamadzabo remanded them in custody pending trial in the case where they face multiple charges of unlawful floggings in Mochudi.  However, last Thursday, the men surrendered to the police, allegedly after some tribal elders intervened and persuaded them to obey the law.

But Bakgatla have dismissed talk that their chief has surrendered to the police and marched on Saturday to express solidarity with him and his co-defendants. The majority view expressed by many of the speakers at a well-attended crisis meeting on Saturday was that Kgafela has been abducted by the government and taken to prison in Gaborone. The decision to march through the village to the police station appeared to be unanimous. 'We know that our Kgosi was abducted. We need government to know that they are now treading where they should not,' said one of the many speakers.

'A re kwaleng re bolelle goromente gore a golle kgosi ya rona... kana re a e batla kgosi ya rona [let's write and tell government to release our Kgosi... we want our Kgosi),' said one Phemelo. Like many others who spoke at the meeting, he said Kgafela's problems are politically motivated.

'We know the President (Ian Khama) is part and parcel of this whole issue. This fight is over Kgafela's refusal to go to the House of Chiefs. Nyamadzabo and Khama recommend lawlessness in our village. When criminals force us to drink [sewage] water from Ngotwane, their police come hours after you report the case, now they want to tell us that our Kgosi should not bring order?' he asked in typical Freedom Square rhetoric.

Another speaker suggested that since they know that their Kgosi is in Gaborone, the tribe should march from Mochudi to the city and make government aware that they are not happy.

A certain Samuel said they should not waste time on legal battles because they will become bankrupt. 'We should be aware that the legal way will be expensive. We pay tax and government will be using the money from our taxes to fight us. Let us show government that they are about to step on us on a spot they are not supposed to.... It is clear that we have no support. None of the members of the House of Chiefs is supporting us. We know why. Khama is a Kgosi himself and he is against our Kgosi,' he said.

Some at the meeting took advantage of the situation to incite the people.

'These people have failed to release the Segametsi report. Are they now telling us that we should accept Nyamadzabo's judgement?' said one speaker.  The Segametsi ritual murder caused riots across Mochudi nearly 20 years ago. Government engaged the Scotland Yard to investigate, but never released the findings. Recently a certain Shadrack Ramaabya was found dead in what was suspected to be another ritual killing in Mochudi.

At the Saturday meeting, one speaker said: 'Naga e senang Khudutlou Bolebeto ba ipha naga (where there is no authoritative figure, lawlessness abounds)'. His suggestion that offenders should be arrested and brought to Kgotla for whipping received huge applause from the crowd.

However some advised against any violence by the tribe. 'We should all know that Kgosi has instructed that we should under no circumstances engage in any violent activity. Yes he admits that the battle is great, he knows we are unhappy. Indeed we are unhappy, but let us not fail to adhere to Kgosi's instruction. As Bakgatla, let us send a delegation to Gaborone, where the battle is most intense,' said a speaker called Mamiso.

However her comments elicited a rebuke from one Joseph Setontwe who chided women for appearing not to be supportive enough. 'Women, are you with us or you will betray us at the last minute?' Warnings from other speakers such as Morolong that holding a demo without a permit is illegal were dismissed.

'Bagaetsho, bogatlapa ga bo ke bo re thusa ka sepe. Ba le reng ga le batle re gwantela kwa police potang kafa. Ba le reng ee, boelang ka fa. (Cowardice will not help! Those who are willing to march, go this side and those of you who are not willing go this side,' someone hollered through the loudspeaker. A number of mephato came forward to confirm their willingness to march without a permit. None dared to publicly state that they would not march. And so the over 2,000 Bakgatla tribesmen and women marched. Like a mighty river, they filled the road, bringing traffic to a halt.

At the police station, officers appeared ready for any eventuality. Just when they thought the crowd would come into the station, it passed. Quietly. But no sooner had they passed, they came back. They stood a distance from the gate and glared at edgy police officers without saying a word. Then they marched back to the Kgotla. 'They are saying they will repeat the feat and close all businesses by Monday,' a policeman said as the tribe marched away. However, yesterday's meeting attracted very few people and the march did not materialise.

'Understandably many of them are old people and yesterday's (Saturday) march strained their feeble bodies,' someone joked at the small gatherings that have become common place in the village.