Nata residents to confront Kgamane

Concerned Nata residents have resolved to send a three-man delegation to Serowe to query Bangwato regent Sediegeng Kgamane’s handling of their chieftainship crisis. Kgamane was ordered by Director of Bogosi at Tribal headquarters to resolve Nata Chieftainship crisis since August this year.

A concerned resident Galethata Bob Zibani of Nata who was part of the delegation which went to drop the petition at Tribal headquarters informed Northern Extra that Kgamane is deliberately dragging his feet to frustrate residents from electing their leader of choice after Kgamane’s handpicked candidate was denied official recognition following a fierce protest by villagers who had wanted the position of Senior Tribal Authority to be decided through the ballot.

He revealed that a delegation spearheading the smooth voting of a village chief has recently decided to send a confrontational three-man delegation to have audience with Kgamane to find out reasons behind his delaying the implementation of the Tribal director’s orders. During the past interviews with Northern Extra around August 2016, the Director of Tribal Administration Tumelo Seboko confirmed that they sent Kgamane a directive to solve the village chieftainship crisis as soon as possible.

Following the directive, the Bamangwato regent then made it known to them that he was held up in the middle of BOT50 celebrations including the touring of his territory by Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi around the months of August and September 2016. Almost three months following BOT50 celebrations concerned residents have doubt that their crises will never be solved.

A Khedom representative advocating for the rights of Basarwa in Nata village Dikakanyo Dilo  said that since time immemorial, Nata village chieftainship matters have been under the grip and control of Bangwato. She explained that when their children became educated, most of them then educated them on the importance of their recognition as an independent tribe like many other tribes who decide who to lead them in a democratic fashion across the country.

“The Bangwato still believe that they can do as they please with us since we are Basarwa with no rights. Last year around September 2015 our senior tribal authority Mokgwathi Makgesi retired from duty and we were excited when from the blues a delegation sent by Kgamane announced that this time around we were to elect a person of our choice,” Dilo expained.

She further said, “The majority of those present preferred his immediate junior Rebagamang Rancholo to take over, but the delegation explained that neither Rancholo nor Letsogo Kgaswa were eligible to the senior position since they were already employed. We were then advised as villagers to come up with a name of the individual we wanted to head Nata village. Within a very short period of time before we could elect our new leader, Kgamane broke the sad news to us that he has used Bogosi Act to choose his preferred candidate who was Letsogo.’’

She continued that after the announcement, angry villagers petitioned the director of tribal authority who then overturned Kgamane’s decision and directed that he solve the village chieftainship crises. Efforts to solicit a comment from Kgamane hit a snag at press time as he was reportedly engaged on official duties whist Ikaneng insisted that the matter is currently in the hands of Kgamane and will be solved amicably.