|
|
Botswana: Fracas Over Kgosi At Kamanakao
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
19 March 2008
Posted to the web 19 March 2008
States Modibati
The Batawana Tribal Administration officials have dismissed the recent election of Kamanakao headman at Bayei Kgotla insisting that the post is still vacant following the death of Jacob Moeti last year.
He was officially recognised as the government and tribal administration. Former retired primary school teacher, Nkaisang Mosupukwa, won the recent election for the ward in a three horse race with a wide margin during her absence in the elections held in the presence of Kamanakao elders, including veteran opposition politician, Motsamai Mpho, former assistant council secretary, Simon Bojosi, former councillor, Thebenyane Rammokolodi and Phenyo Ramasu. The incumbent ward councillor, Lt. Etsogile Senabe was also present.
When approached to shed light on the elections, assistant Tribal Secretary at the main Kgotla denied any knowledge of the elections.
"We did not instruct anyone at Bayei ward to elect a new headman. Normally, in any official elections of new headman, there should be a chief's representative and a court clerk to record the proceedings of the meeting and bring the minutes to the Batawana Regent, Kealetile Moremi," she explained.
Senior Chief Representative, Charles Letsholathebe, who was present during the interview reiterated the assistant secretary's explanation, stressing that the post is still vacant. He asserted that "they held the elections on their own without the knowledge of this office".
During the elections, there were only two candidates present, G. Goipatwabatho and Matlhale Motsamai whilst the winner, Nkaisang Mosupukwa, was not available. Before casting their votes, some people who came for the elections suggested that voters should stand behind a candidate of their choice. Instead it was agreed that voters should write the name of their preferred candidate on ballot papers in secret. At the last counting of ballot papers, the absentee candidate, Mosupukwa emerged victorious with 53 votes, followed by Matlhale Motsamai with 21 and Goipatwabatho who garnered a paltry six votes. After the elections, Mpho urged the Bayei to support the winner and informed the gathering that he will not be able to attend President Festus Mogae's farewell Kgotla meeting because he will be in South Africa. He said if it was possible for him to attend the farewell Kgotla meeting he would remind Mogae that Kamanakao's case is still pending.
"I will be in South Africa when Mogae comes to Maun on the 14th March. I have been invited by former South African president, Nelson Mandela to a get together of all political ex-prisoners who waged the struggle with him," he said. He asserted that Ngamiland belongs to all who reside in the area and lambasted a few Batawana who mistook their struggle as a personal affront to them.
He said "the Bayei tribe are fighting the government to amend Section 77, 78, 79 not the Batawana tribe per se".
Thebenyane Rammokolodi pleaded with the Bayei to contribute money to push their case at the High Court for the government to amend the constitution.
Mmegi tracked the winner of the elections, Mosupukwa who taught for 37 years since 1966 and retired in 2002. She said "I was elected by Bayei because they believe that having been a teacher I might be able to do my job perfectly".
She revealed that the family of the late Jacob Moeti wanted one his sons, Moeti Moeti, to succeed his father but the young Moeti declined the offer on the grounds that he is still schooling. Mmegi is reliably informed that Moeti Moeti wrote a letter asking for his elder sister to hold the office on his behalf.
The letter has been passed to the Batawana Tribal Administration Office. Mosupukwa indicated that though she is an active member of the Kamanakao Association, she will execute her duties fairly.
She said "I will assist everybody fairly irrespective of where they come from and I will treat everybody equally at the Kgotla.
|
Mosupukwa will not be entitled to a monthly allowance because her election is not officially recognised.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
