Commenting on the published Bogosi Bill that Government wants to align with the constitutional amendments to sections 77,78,79 of the country's constitution, Nyati-Ramahobo said that from analysing the Bill the government was failing to bring about tribal equality, but instead subjected Bogosi to increased surveillance.
According to the UB Professor, the 22 elected members who recently joined the Ntlo ya Dikgosi were not chiefs because the bill shows that they were voted illegally.
Citing section 4(b) and 6(1) of the new bill, she argued that the bill gives the tribe the sole right to designate its leader or his successor. Last year the expansion of membership of the Ntlo ya Dikgosi led to elections of tribal leaders across the country.
However, the headmen and Chiefs voted for their representatives to the house of chiefs.
"Essentially, what it means is that they are not dikgosi," stated Nyati-Ramahobo.
Adding that section 4b,states that for one to be recognised as a Kgosi he had to be designated under section 6(1). Under that section the tribe and some senior members have to assemble to designate a Kgosi in line with customary law and tribal norms.
The Wayeyi activist revealed that apart from changing the definition of bogosi from English to Setswana, also adding qualifications for Dikgosi, the Bill has not achieved anything.
She argued that the amendments are still discriminatory.
"What they were supposed to do was list all tribes or give a general statement that all of them can have chiefs," she said.
She acknowledged that new section 3 empowered a tribal community to be recognised as a tribe, adding that the provision however gave the minister of local government too much power.
"It takes away the tribe and Bogosi as an institution," she said citing the entitlement of the minister to appoint 'Motshwarelela Bogosi' or remove a Kgosi from office.
