Kgari dismisses his deputy

GREGORY KELEBONYE
Staff Writer | Tuesday September 21, 2010 00:00

 

Bakwena paramount chief, Kgari Sechele has dismissed his deputy, Keineetse Sebele and immediately appointed Kgosi Oletile Makgasane of Lentsweletau as a replacement. Kgari announced yesterday at a highly charged Kgotla meeting attended by all Kweneng MPs that the decision to remove Sebele followed recommendations of a Presidential Commission set up to investigate long-running conflicts in the Bakwena bogosi (chieftainship). 'I must state that I have had ample time to read the report. I have discussed it with the minister and with His Excellency the President.

I also gave it to deputy chief Keineetse Sebele to read... I have decided to accept all its recommendations, but only asked that it should not be made public as that would not be in the best interests of the tribe.

The report discusses the deputy chief, where a great majority of you felt that he should vacate his position. I have accepted to remove Kgosi Sebele.  I find myself without a choice as he and I were the ones who sought the President's assistance to end the animosity within the Bakwena bogosi,' he said.

Kgari explained that he appointed Sebele because he had shown that he was unbiased and pragmatic unlike the other candidates for the post. 'He was not tainted by the many fights we have had. At the time I used my powers to appoint him. Now him and I went to seek help and that help has resulted in my having to remove Keineetse.

This means we now have a vacancy. I know you will each individually want me to choose the people you want to be my deputy. I know that if I were to allow that, we would find ourselves back here again as we would have more conflict. I have therefore used my powers to appoint Oletile Makgasane as the next deputy chief,' said Kgari.When he got up to respond, Keineetse took the fight to Kgari and Bakwena who wanted him out.

'I have always believed that a person should be sentenced for wrongdoing. That is the universal law. That is also what the Constitution of this country says. I have a contract and it has not been reversed yet. You can only terminate someone's contract if he is guilty of wrongdoing. I am not guilty of anything,' Sebele said to a lone ululation here, a clap there, perhaps indicating the general attitude of the Bakwena towards the man. He stated that with his two brothers - Kgosimotse and Kgosikwena, who is currently serving a jail term for stock theft - they remain elders in the royal family and Kgari must consult them before he can make any major decisions. 'Kgari has no right to say he is appointing Makgosane. If anything, he should have consulted and considered those senior to Oletile. These are for example the Sebele and the Kgosidintsi family members,' he said. He added that he is not so much concerned about being dismissed from work as he is about the the fact that it is not being done fairly.

In his typical self, Sebele unexpectedly took the time to take a swipe at Kgari's clerk - a certain Baloi - whom he accused of misleading the Kgosi. He said Baloi's demeanour is so repulsive that he begged she should be removed from her job. Not even requests for him to get to the issue at hand would derail him from hitting out at the clerk. Sebele said that he would not accept any position that makes him to serve among any people he did not know. He said he would not allow himself to work as a Customary Court president who are even lower in rank to senior chief representatives. The meeting was not without criticism of Kgari as speaker after speaker said he needed to consult more with his morafhe. While it appeared a great majority of those at the Kgotla were happy that Keineetse had been removed, there remains a group that believes the man should remain deputy chief. 'We knew long ago, last month in fact that Sebele has been fired as it has been the talk of town. We are looking for an opportunity to meet with the President over this matter,' said tribesman Julius Bodigelo. He told Mmegi that they would consider going to the courts if the matter is not resolved.