Mookane chieftainship goes to court?

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Thursday January 17, 2008 00:00

 

The two men were among a group of Mookane residents who were opposed to Bakwena's appointment last year in a heated Kgotla meeting addressed by Bangwato Tribal Authority, Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane.

They said yesterday that after holding meetings with their colleagues over the festive season they intend to meet for the last time next Saturday to chart the way forward; going to the High Court. 

'We have been waiting for a response from the Ministry of Local Government since last year but no information if forthcoming and we are now going to court,' the two said. 

They argue that they want to be granted an opportunity to vote for their favorite candidate for the position of headman of records, as has been their village's practice with other positions in the tribal administration.

Seabenyana and Obakeng accused Bakwena of recently introducing what they called 'tactics' to avoid a possible court interdiction barring him from the disputed position.  'Recently the man circulated a form in which all residents are required to write their names and Identity Card numbers. The form bears no letter head or stamp and we suspect it is going to be used against us,' the two men noted.

But Bakwena called the two men 'lunatics'. 'I have heard about those two men whom I don't know what they do for a living. They are trying to cause confusion in the village and I am aware of the secret meetings they had held in the village,' he said in a confident tone.

'There are many developments coming to our area - Mmamabula Power Station - and I want them to come home and assist us with their brains since they are educated. I am worried that they want to waste themselves in dangerous endeavors,' he said. Bakwena said that the purpose of the form was to keep record of Mookane residents and the number of people in each ward as requested by the tribal headquarters in Serowe. 

'The idea came from Serowe and even if you go to Mahalapye, Palapye or Serowe you will find the form. It is only those who are paranoid, like those two boys, who refuse to fill the forms which are mainly kept by the headmen of arbitration,' he said.

Bakwena claimed that he was aware that the two men were calling the Saturday meeting to try and source funds from people they thought were on their side. 

'It is a pity because people have lost interest in the matter and even this morning we held a Kgotla meeting and people came in large numbers. I am enjoying support and cooperation from the residents,' Bakwena said.