In the latest move, Kgosi Kgafela Kgafela II and the royal family have since written to President Cyril Ramaphosa calling for his intervention. In their petition to Ramaphosa, Bakgatla are demanding urgent intervention to uphold constitutional rights protecting traditional customs. They also seek a meeting with Ramaphosa and the withdrawal of Kgosi Nyalala Pilane’s certificate, calling Mokgosi’s move “a violation with impunity”. The conflict centres on the premier’s controversial decision to recognise Nyalala as the tribe’s Kgosi, despite a royal family directive and court rulings backing their preferred candidate, 23-year-old Matshego Kgafela. The move has sparked outrage, with tribal leaders threatening legal action and alleging political interference by the African National Congress (ANC).
The royal family, led by Kgafela, claims Premier Mokgosi unlawfully gazetted Nyalala Pilane as chief on January 20, 2025, defying a submitted request to install Kgafela’s son, Matshego. In a fiery address recently, Kgafela II labelled the decision “shocking” and “a cheap trick”, vowing to challenge it through courts and criminal complaints. “We followed every process, suspending Ramono Pilane the previous chief, holding disciplinary hearings, and informing the premier. Yet he ignored our resolution and gave bogosi to Nyalala, a man central to our tribe’s problems,” Kgafela II told supporters in Moruleng. The royal family insists Mokgosi’s decision breaches the North West Traditional Leadership Act, the Baloyi Commission Report, and multiple court judgments. They argue Nyalala’s recognition reverses a 2022 ruling by former premier Job Mokgoro, who stripped him of the title after similar disputes. Kgafela II has since ordered lawyers to demand that Mokgosi withdraw Nyalala’s certificate by January 29, 2025, or face charges of fraud and corruption. “The premier lied by claiming the royal family endorsed Nyalala. That’s criminal,” he said, adding plans for an urgent court application to remove Nyalala and replace him with Matshego. The family also accuses the ANC of meddling, alleging Nyalala funnelled tribal funds to the party without consent.
They point to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s public backing of Nyalala and the party’s use of Moruleng Stadium, a tribal asset, for events. “The ANC is propping up Nyalala to loot our resources. This is unconstitutional,” the royal family’s petition to Ramaphosa states. The conflict traces back to 2011, when Kgafela II, then chief in Botswana, was stripped of his title after refusing to face charges for allegedly flogging tribesmen. He fled to South Africa in 2012, reigniting a feud with uncles Nyalala and Ramono Pilane over control of the Bakgatla in Moruleng. In December 2024, Kgafela II announced plans to return to Botswana, naming his son Matshego, a University of Cape Town engineering graduate as his successor. “We’re tired of uncles causing chaos. My son is young, educated, and ready to lead,” he declared.
But Mokgosi’s surprise endorsement of Nyalala, whom the family accuses of financial crimes, has thrown the transition into disarray. Amidst the turmoil, Kgafela II insists traditional leadership transcends government paperwork. “Once ordained, no certificate can remove a kgosi. We will overcome this,” he told his tribe, urging unity. Yet the practical implications are stark: without state recognition, Matshego cannot access tribal funds or govern formally. The royal family fears Nyalala’s appointment entrenches factionalism, with Kgafela II warning of “full wrath” if the decision stands.
