Power struggle rocks Gammangwato Royalty
Tensions are high within the Gammangwato Royal family as bickering grows among the three families - Khama, Kgamane and Seretse – who are allegedly in a power struggle over the Gammangwato throne, Botswana Guardian has established.
Information gathered by this publication suggest that there has been a planned coup to sideline and eventually remove the Khama’s from the throne even though they are the rightful family for the throne.
According to the hierarchy, the Khama family are more senior as the first family followed by Kgamane and Seretse as the third. Former President Ian Khama is currently Kgosikgolo and is responsible for appointing his regent.
Kgosikgolo has maintained that he is Kgosikgolo and until he gets married and sires an heir, the next in line after him is Tshekedi Khama who was MP for Serowe West, until recently when Parliament declared his seat vacant after he failed to attend Parliament for two successive sessions.
Investigations by Botswana Guardian have uncovered that the tensions grew after the appointment of Kgosi Serogola Seretse as Acting Regent, replacing Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane who was unceremoniously removed from office last year by the minister of local government and rural development Kgotla Autlwetse at the height of tensions between government and the Royal family.
Kgosi Kgamane was initially suspended pending investigations for allowing the royal uncles to hold a ‘private’ meeting at the Serowe main Kgotla against a directive from the ministry.
News on the ground is that Kgosi Serogola Seretse had hinted to those close to him and some of the royal uncles that the time has come for the Khama’s dynasty to be overthrown and replaced by the Seretse family. This is said to have annoyed the Khama and Kgamane families.
The Kgamane family has for long been Regent until recently when Kgosi Serogola Seretse was appointed. Kgosi Serogola Seretse is said to have allegedly been working with Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse of Pilikwe, a claim which was denied. This is said to have also caused tension between Kgosi Serogola Seretse and some of the elders who advise, while Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse was summoned by the elders to explain.
Information reaching Botswana Guardian is that there is bad blood between Serogola Seretse and Rasebolai Mojampo Kgamane over the running of affairs of Gammangwato Bogosi. In the same breath the Kgamane family is said to feel hard done as they do not appear anywhere in the upper level of leadership within Bogosi.
According to insiders, the Kgamane family was told by some within the royal family uncles to go and claim their seat in Shoshong than to cause tension at the main Kgotla unnecessarily. Rasebolai Majampo Kgamane is said to be one of the key players causing a rift within Bogosi especially at the main kgotla in Serowe. Recently, he is said to have clashed with Kgosi Serogola Seretse over the use of the Kgotla for a meeting by the royal uncles.
The tension between the duo is said to have escalated following the refusal to grant the use of the Kgotla last year to hold a meeting where riot police were called to the scene. The meeting which was called by the royal uncles to update Ba-Gammangwato about Kgosikgolo Ian Khama would later be held at an open space where Khama addressed his subjects by video. It was at this same meeting where Khama said Kgosi Serogola Seretse should vacate his Kgotla.
It is also alleged that some Dikgosi are against the use of Mogomotsi Kaboyamodimo, the SKI Khama Foundation Chief Executive Officer to be involved in the affairs of Gammangwato Bogosi, as they say he is meddling while he belongs to a different tribe. There are also fears of a political infiltration as there are some people who masquerade as royal uncles, while they are not, and this has fuelled further tension.
Another interesting version to the tension is that Seretse Peter Khama should have been appointed Regent where Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane is accused of having delayed the process. According to insiders, Kgosi Kgamane wanted to frustrate the appointment of Seretse Peter Khama as his replacement by advising the then Minister of Local Government Eric Molale to halt the confirmation of Seretse Peter Khama as the regent upon Kgosi Kgamane’s retirement.
Suspicions within the royal family is that Kgosikgolo Khama was not sure of appointing Seretse Peter Khama. It has since emerged that Seretse Peter Khama might be far from the throne to be appointed regent. The blame has now been dropped off at Kgosi Serogola Seretse’s doorstep for delaying the process to appoint him.
“There is no clear succession plan in Gammangwato Bogosi. If we had, there would not be what is happening now. The issue is the rivalry when there is an opening in the leadership especially for regency, people want to position themselves. We are blaming government for meddling, while the onus is on us to clean up our house,” one of the uncles, who preferred not to be named for fear of victimisation, told Botswana Guardian.
The tension is said to have started affecting the four main Kgotla in Serowe being Maoloso, Maoloso-a-ngwana, Ditimamodimo and Basimane. The four fall directly under Khama.
Approached on the allegations, Kgosi Serogola Seretse said he is not in a position to discuss the Bogosi issue before consulting Morafe on the matter. He said he would consult Morafe first before granting the interview.
Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse on the other hand dismissed the claims indicating that this is not the first time he has been implicated. He said his only crime is that he has called for things to be done appropriately.
According to Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse, after he heard the rumour he approached Kgosi Serogola Seretse on the allegations “of which he said it was all fabrication by those involved in causing division within the chieftancy.”
Asked about being one of those who despise involvement of Kaboeamodimo, he answered in the affirmative. He argued that Kaboeamodimo is meddling in royal issues while “he is not even of the royal family let alone of an extended family because he doesn’t qualify to be communicating issues of Bogosi Ba-Gammangwato”.
According to Gasebalwe Seretse, he is against the tension and the alleged overthrow of the Khama family. “I respect and love Khama the Kgosi, he is my cousin I wouldn’t want to see him distracted from doing or directing the path of his Bogosi. I have made this even clear when I was summoned by the elders whom you are free to ask them about my position,” he said.
Diphimotswe Koloi, one of the advisors to Kgosi Gasebalwe Seretse revealed that they were shocked to learn of the news of the plan to remove the Khama’s from the throne. He said as far as they are concerned by now Seretse Peter Khama should have long been installed as regent.
He is of the view that Kgosi Serogola Seretse should not take the blame for the delay but rather Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane who was alleged to have written to the ministry to halt the confirmation of Seretse Peter Khama as regent.
“We are on guard and as his advisors and will ensure that no such tact happens while we are still alive because we are certain that he knows the history of this royal family. We do not expect him to betray his Kgosikgolo," Koloi said in an interview.
One of the elders who was part of a committee that dealt with the issue of succession plan for the regency, Etshabile Tiro Sebusang said the issues of Bogosi BaGammangwato need to be discussed with sober minds. He indicated that Seretse Peter Khama was recalled from active politics by Kgosikgolo so that he could go and man the Kgotla in Serowe as the Khama’s are the rightful family at the helm.
“Seretse Peter Khama called us and told us that he is no longer into politics and will be taking over at the Kgotla. At the time he was in opposition politics. He accepted that but unfortunately to this day he has not been appointed. The committee has been doing well until there was an infiltration by people who claimed to be getting instructions from Kgosikgolo.
“At that point the focus of the committee shifted from its mandate and focused on discussing the standoff between Kgosikgolo the former president and the current president. We haven’t been meeting for some time, as there were differences as to what is the mandate of the committee,” he revealed.
Kaboeamodimo said he is not aware that he is being accused as “you describe and I don’t know who is making that accusation and what they mean by meddling”. He said Gammangwato Royalty is best placed to tell whether or not he is meddling. He further dismissed claims of misinforming Kgosikgolo arguing that he would not misinform Kgosikgolo of Bangwato.
“It is just not possible. And who am I to cause a rift within Gammangwato. This is just malicious hallucination by your informer. Kgosikgolo Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama has his sources of information about Bogosi of Gammangwato. He is in constant communication with his uncles and he has made it clear that his representative on Royal issues in Gammangwato is Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane whom he maintains as the Bangwato Tribal Authority,” fumed Kaboeamodimo.
He added “whenever I appear in Gammangwato as I regularly do it is on specific assignment by Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama in my capacity as his personal envoy, or at the request or invitation of his uncles.”
Rasebolai Mojampo Kgamane called off an arranged interview with this publication at the eleventh hour of the meeting saying he has been advised against granting same on the matter. He had earlier promised to bring an elder and Seretse Peter Khama to the meeting to be his witness at the meeting as the issue is sensitive.
“I cannot do the meeting anymore. I have sought advice and my advisors and some elders have advised me not to do the interview. The issue is very sensitive and decided to heed the advice and not discuss it with you, I am sorry,” he said when calling off the meeting.
Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane pleaded to be excused from discussing the issue of Bogosi BaGammangwato. “Please leave me out of anything that has to do with that. I have been there, seen that, please let me rest. I do not want to be part of any discussion. It is not like I am chasing you away or I have anything against the media because I am a friend of the media. I just don’t want to get involved and I humbly request that I be left out that discussion,” Kgamane pleaded.
Contacted on the developments, Khama said he is not aware of the bickering. He revealed that the Gammangwato throne and the line of succession is well known and cannot be undermined. Khama denied that Kaboeamodimo and Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane are meddling in the affairs and shifted the blame on President Masisi.
“The legitimate representative of mine is Kgosi Kgamane. He is definitely not meddling in the affairs of Gammangwato. The person who is meddling in our affairs is Masisi,” Khama said from his base in South Africa. He stated that he is not aware if Kgosi Kgamane played a part in delaying having Seretse Peter Khama being appointed Regent.
“That too I am not aware of. If you want clarification on that you can ask kgosi Kgamane. I am the kgosikgolo. The next in succession is my brother Tshekedi followed by his son Kaedi. The only interruption to that line of succession will be when and if I get married and produce an heir,” Khama said.
Khama told this publication in an interview that wherever there is conflict in the country there is the hand of government, specifically the politicians behind it. He said nation building does not exist in the government vocabulary nor are they capable or able to encourage or disseminate it.
“You would be aware that in recent months and in the context of meddling by the Masisi regime in Bogosi in Gammangwato I gave authority for Seretse Peter Khama to assist Kgosi Kgamane as Mothusa Kgosi while Kgosi Kgamane prepares himself for retirement during which time the next Bangwato Tribal Authority will be identified,” Khama said.