Bame Piet
3 October 2008
A chieftainship dispute is looming in Medie village, a few kilometers North-West of Lentsweletau village.
Some villagers are up in arms against a decision by Bakwena Paramount Chief Kgosi Kgari Sechele III to appoint a headman for them.
In a letter written on September 29, to the Minister of Local Government Margaret Nasha, the residents accuse Kgari of imposing Letlhomame Kgabo on them. He is the son of former minister - the late Englishman Kgabo and now resides in Kumakwane.
"We the residents of Medie were surprised at Kgosi Kgari's unilateral decision to appoint Letlhomame Kgabo as our headman without our input.
He even refused to bend when the tribe tried to show their reasons for rejecting him," they say in the letter.
The residents further point out that Kgabo brought his relatives from Kumakwane and Molepolole to support him.
They argue that Kgabo and his relatives are not residents of Medie and that he (Kgabo) is already a headman in Kumakwane.
They also accuse the Kgabos of making remarks that were degrading to them at a kgotla meeting addressed by Kgosi Kgari.
Kgari confirmed the meeting but could not discuss its details. He said he knew nothing about the letter written to Nasha. "I am unable to share details of the meeting with the press because I have to make recommendations to the minister," he said.
The position of headman fell vacant after the death of headman Tladi Kgabo early this year. The residents recommended his son Moatlhodi Kgabo.
However, minister Nasha said that her office still hasn't received the letter. "If it was written on the 29th then it is still in the post office," she said.
The minister explained that complaint letters are dealt with at the Tribal Administration headquarters. "After receiving a complaint, they have to carry out their own investigations to get both sides of the story. After gathering information that's when they can write to my office. It's a process," she said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
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.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
