A tribal showdown: Khama vs Masisi vs uncles vs morafe

Throughout the Masisi-Khama rivalry, the uncles had remained quiet. Customarily, Khama must first approach his uncles whenever he has problems. They are regarded as his main advisors and their role is to guide the kgosi throughout his reign. They are like his father figures that he must tap wisdom from to be a better ruler. Khama, however, did not rely on this traditional route when he fell out with his successor. He chose the vile political route and went to ‘dipepereng’ (political freedom square, as it is known in Serowe) instead of the revered Kgotla where he has an arsenal of gray-haired wisemen to fix stuff on his behalf.

The political route neglected Khama’s uncles because Dikgosi are defacto government employees and their dikgotla are gazetted government premises, so active politics is a no-go area for them. It appears Khama believed the political route would be the most effective because elections were around the corner and he saw a big opportunity to get rid of Masisi through the ballot box. The uncles silently watched on from a distance hoping the feud would end before much damage. They were also waiting for Khama to come and appeal to them for help.