Government should bring order to Kgatleng

Editor | Wednesday November 3, 2010 00:00

Sadly, we note that since the case against Kgosikgolo Kgafela Kgafela II of Bakgatla, his brother and 11 of their tribesmen came before the courts, some elements of the Bakgatla tribe have been trying to incite insurrection.  Unbelievably, they went on to lay the blame for their leaders' admittedly unenviable circumstances on certain merafe, calling them unspeakable names. 

These are malcontents.  Hiding behind the veil of Kgatla identity, these malcontents initially singled out Bangwato as their enemies because they hold that President Ian Khama, who is a Mongwato, has failed them by not interceding on behalf of their Kgosi!  In this chilling pose, they are now calling for the removal of non-Bakgatla police officers from their principal town, Mochudi. 'The people who are working at the police station have been brought here by the government,' one said. 

'They come from Zwenshambe or wherever. Let us show them that we don't want them in our village.' Utterances like these are as regrettable as they are inflammatory. No one knows what the outcome of the case against Kgosikgolo Kgafela and his men will be.   If what we are seeing is an indication of what some elements from among the tribe can do, then our fears should not be judged as unfounded. Suffice it to say, no one is above the constitution of this land. 

Not Kgafela.  Not even the magistrate who remanded him.  However, what we have seen over the last few days is total disregard for the law.  For example, some section of the Bakgatla marched inspite of protestations by some members of the morafe that the tribe should not march without a permit because that was illegal. 

The Bakgatla decided that they would march nonetheless. Sanity should prevail.  We cannot sit back when a few misguided elements mislead an entire tribe and cause trusting old women and men and impressionable young women and young men to do the wrong thing.  They should not incite the tribe to rebel against government or hate people from other tribes.

We have seen the result of such actions elsewhere in the world, and their graphic nature would traumatise the ordinary viewer or reader.  We cannot sit back when the gains that we have thus far made as a united nation are about to be reversed by a few individuals with ill-motives. 

Rather, as a nation, we should be inspired by the feeling of collective greatness; by what we have achieved thus far, and work individually and collectively, to the best of our ability, to maintain cohesion and unity of purpose for our national growth.  We therefore, call on government to speedily deal with those individuals who appear hell-bent on reversing these efforts.  Not tomorrow but today.  Sanity must prevail.

                                                                    Today's thought            'Xenophobia is a hardwired cognitive disposition that is impervious to empirical modification.'                                                                   -Robin May Schott