'Kgafela is an arrogant braggart'

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Friday November 18, 2011 00:00

 

In an interview with Mmegi in Gaborone, Thari Pilane - who introduced himself as the secretary of the Bakgatla royal house in Moruleng - castigated Kgosi Kgafela for defying the Botswana government and barring ministers from addressing kgotla meetings in Kgatleng.

'This is wrong, and we don't expect him to behave like that as a leader,' Pilane said. 'He is so arrogant to government and says he is not under their control and can do as he pleases.'

He added that he and his compatriots are not impressed by Kgosi Kgafela's defiance of government, saying no responsible leader would stop government from bringing economic development to people.

The prince from Moruleng said what irks him the most is that Kgosi Kgafela receives a large stipend of R90,000 per month from Moruleng. Kgosi Kgafela is the sovereign of Bakgatla in both Kgatleng here and in South Africa, whose principal town is Moruleng.

Pilane said a section of the Bakgatla royal house in Moruleng is against Kgosi Kgafela receiving money from their kitty because as far as they are concerned, he is not entitled to it.

Pilane and his compatriots have been in a protracted legal battle to have the sovereignty of Kgosi Kgafela proscribed from Bakgatla in South Africa. They also challenge the legitimacy of Kgosi Nyalala's throne in Moruleng, a situation partly prompted by a controversial arrangement in which Nyalala reports to Kgosi Kgafela.

Contacted for comment, the Deputy Chief of Bakgatla, Kgosi Sekai, said he is not shocked by what Kgosi Kgafela's detractors are saying. Because they fall outside leadership circles in Moruleng, they cannot understand the situation that Kgosi Kgafela and Bakgatla are grappling with in their troubled relationship with government here.'Kana batho bao ga nke re nna moriti nabo,' he says. 'Ga ba itse dikgang tsa Bakgatla kwano.'

Regarding Pilane's complaint that Kgafela draws a large amount of money from Moruleng, Kgosi Sekai said they need not be worried because 'it was not Kgosi Kgafela who said he should get the salary; it was Bakgatla in Moruleng who said because Kgosi Kgafela is their Kgosikgolo, they want to provide for him'.