Kgotla meeting turns ugly

VICTOR MUYAKWABO
Staff Writer | Thursday August 23, 2012 00:00

 

MANKGODI: A Kgotla meeting that was addressed by the Member of Parliament for Kweneng South, who is also Minister for Health Reverend Dr John Seakgosing yesterday nearly turned nasty when villagers demanded to pose questions to their representative, contrary to his wishes. Immediately after addressing the residents, Seakgosing did not allow any questions, comments and queries session as is normal practice in the Kgotla system. His excuse was that he was in a hurry.

Seakgosing had spent about two hours delivering his speech before the master of ceremony Kaelo Nkau decided to give the villagers a chance to voice their concerns. Just before they could start doing that, the deputy District Commissioner Thabo Mokoti stood up and took away the microphone from him saying that Seakgosing does not have enough time to listen to the villagers' concerns as he was scheduled to address another Kgotla meeting in Kumakwane.However, his 'hurry' did not go down well with the residents and they demanded that he stay and listen to their concerns or face the wrath of their vote.

The councillor for Mankgodi North, Ofentse Mafoko, took another microphone and made his displeasure with the MP known, and that the villagers had the right to voice out their concerns. It was at this juncture that the villagers booed the deputy district commissioner.The councillor and deputy DC then got involved in a heated argument on how the meeting should proceed before Seakgosing stood up to calm the flaring tempers as well as making an indirect apology.'If you people no longer want me to be your MP, you have the right to remove me in Parliament by passing a motion of no confidence' he said. Ultimately a few people were allowed to ask questions for which answers they were not satisfied.

Later after the meeting, the Chairperson of the Village Development Committee (VDC) Tau told Mmegi that the people of Mankgodi are very angry with Seakgosing and they no longer want him, as he seems not to care about their welfare. He also revealed that there is a general feeling among the residents of Mankgodi of being neglected and that has simmered into a tribal conflict between Bahurutsi and Bakgatla ba ga Mmanana in Thamaga, where the MP originates.'We are going to sit down and find a way forward but as the village leadership we are planning the delimitation commission must declare Mankgodi an independent constituency from the one held by Seakgosing' said Tau. This is the first time Seakgosing was addressing the residents after the demolition at Ramaphatle in which several families were left with nowhere to stay.