Malema to hold fort until retirement

ONALENNA MODIKWA
Staff Writer | Wednesday February 23, 2011 00:00

 

A recent indoor meeting made a decision to retain Kgosi Mmirwa Malema as chief until he retires in 2014.

The recent indoor meetings between the claimants to the throne and the Bamangwato delegation that was led by Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane and his deputy Kgosi Serogola Seretse have reportedly resolved that the issue would only continue after Malema retires.

However, this appears to have not brought a long-term solution to the problem that has been bothering Babirwa for sometime now.

Kgosi Malema said during an interview that though the issue has reached a solution they are not happy in that some issues have been left unexplained.

He confirmed that it has been resolved that he remains in the throne until he retires in 2014. 'We have accepted the decision though not very convinced. We still have to forge a way forward. Yone kgang e wetse but dilo dingwe di a fatlha ka jalo di tlhoka gore di seka sekwe.'

Malema said they would see a way of addressing issues of concern in the resolution that has been made. 'It is really disturbing because it was not a trial but an issue that would help us know ourselves better. Reserving the issue to after my retirement is not a solution but just a postponement of the problem.'

Kgosi Mokhutshwane Sekgoma, who also formed part of the delegation and has been conducting the past meetings declined to comment, saying they will decide on the date to inform the community about the resolution that was made recently.

Bobirwa chieftaincy has been embroiled in a misunderstanding after two dikgosana claimed that they are the rightful heirs to the throne and challenged the legitimacy of Kgosi Malema to the Bobirwa chieftaincy.

Babirwa were subjected to a series of meetings as they tried to trace the origins of the three claimants to establish their linkage to the throne. The only major breakthrough that was made recently when it established that all the three Dauyatswala descendants but failed to agree on who is senior.Some claimed that Kgosi Malema was voted into the throne against the traditional practice of inheritance. But as to how the position got into his hands or  who held the fort before Kgosi Malema was roped in remains unanswered.

Kgosi Malema currently is the Bobirwa region representative in Ntlo-ya-Dikgosi.