"I remain your Kgosi"

GREG KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Wednesday October 13, 2010 00:00

 

Makgasane was on Monday, together with Bakwena Kgosi, Kgari Sechele III briefing his tribe on his appointment as Bakwena Deputy Kgosi.

'I want to emphasise that I remain your Kgosi. I am not abdicating. Perchance anything happens to me, you must know that I have three sons. My firstborn is Tshepho Makgasane. Second and third are Motswakhumo and Leruo. Let this thing be clear. My brother is only holding fort for me and my children,' he said.

The Makgasane are descendants of the Great Kgari Sechele, whose other descendants have for nearly 200 years been involved in royal disputes. One such dispute was between current Kgosi Kgari Sechele III and his cousin Kealeboga Sechele. Kealeboga's contention was that the royal chair belonged to him and not to Kgari.

He eventually lost the matter, as the courts concluded that he waited too long to lay claim to bogosi. Perhaps eager to pre-empt a similar situation in the future Makgasane challenged anybody who felt otherwise about his claim that he was not abdicating and that whoever occupies the Kgosi's office in Lentsweletau, is only holding fort for his children.

However no one came forward to contradict him. In fact, Morulaganyi Makgasane, the man appointed to hold fort told the meeting.

'I am holding fort for him. I would like to do so and at a given time make way for someone, as I doubt that the children will find me still holding fort as they are too little,' he said adding that whoever becomes regent would have to take the responsibility with the knowledge that Oletile Makgasane's son is the rightful heir.

Meanwhile as expected the tribe unanimously endorsed their King, Kgari Sechele's decision to appoint their village chief to be his right-hand man. Kgari had earlier explained that he could not consult the entire tribe earlier or at the time he made the appointment owing to the exigency of the situation.

Kgari appointed Makgasane last month following his sacking of then Deputy Chief Keineetse Sebele. At the time he said he was merely following his tribe's majority view and recommendations of a commission set up by the president to investigate feuding within the Bakwena Royal House. 

Sebele has since been appointed Court President of Gaborone's Block 8 Customary Court.