Mmutlane villagers, government tussle over bogosi

The villagers are reportedly irked by the appointment of Kgosana Ketlaareng Lekhutlile as the substantive kgosana for the village when there were no consultations prior to the appointment.

In the latest court proceedings, the villagers, about 53 of them, are opposing the appointment of the kgosana and say for the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to recognise Kgosana Lekhutlile was illegal and needs to be set aside. They have filed a review application seeking for the decision of the minister to be set aside on grounds that there was no compliance with the Bogosi Act, especially Section 22 as there was no consultation with the people of the area. The tribe's attorney, Uyapo Ndadi, on Friday told the High Court that the decision of the minister amounted to illegality because the villagers did not agree with the appointment. He argued that the residents, who are the custodians of who rules them, were never consulted but a name was imposed on them. “The residents of Mmutlane have always complained that they were never consulted. The tribe’s established practice has always been to elect their leadership. Bogosi is not hereditary.