Brouhaha at Mmadinare bogosi meeting

ONALENNA KELEBEILE
Staff Writer | Tuesday May 14, 2013 00:00

As soon as Kgamane had made his speech, members of the group took turns slamming the decision to make Kebuileng Mphoeng the successor to retiring Kgosi Phokontsi Seeletso. The first speaker said there was a tendency of the tribal leadership at the Bangwato capital of Serowe to appoint chiefs for Mmadinare. 'We have since written a letter to the minister about Mphoeng's legitimacy and now you bring the news of endorsing him.

We need justice. We do not oppose the installation of Mphoeng, but history should not supersede our rights,' he said. Said a man known as Keoganetswe Marumo: 'Here we talk of Mmadinare chieftainship that is being appointed and assigned from Serowe. We are saying every village has the right to appoint its own leader, not a leader imposed from Serowe,' he said. He added that the villagers should meet again to identify their own chief according to hierarchy. 'This was never done because Serowe authorities impose chiefs here. As a result, assigned chiefs advance their own interests, not those of the Mmadinare community,' the man said.

In response, Kgamane told members of the group he called 'Leitlho la Motse' that they should stop spreading falsehoods about the Mmadinare chieftainship succession and chided them for misrepresenting facts for selfish reasons. He said the group, which also sent a delegation to Serowe, was talking about a different issue while he had come to consult on another matter. 'I told them the same thing when they came to Serowe and I will not change anything. If they have an issue, then I am not involved in it. I am not here to advance anybody's interests,' Kgosi Kgamane said.

The Mmadinare chieftainship dispute erupted following the 2008 announcement by Kgosi Seeletso that he wanted to hand over the throne to the rightful heir, referring to Mphoeng who was still schooling when Seeletso held the fort. Seeletso told the Kgotla meeting that he has been pleading to be released to retire because the heir is now old enough to assume the position.

In his address, Kgosi Kgamane said he had brought feedback to Mmadinare to the effect that Seeletso was now handing over the reigns to Mphoeng. He said Seeletso has satisfactorily delivered on his assignment. He informed the community to go ahead with preparations for the installation of the youthful Mphoeng who has now completed his studies in South Africa.  'Le kopile Seeletso mo go nna ko Serowe go tla go tshwarelela Mphoeng. I am witness to the fact that he did his job exceptionally well. Go ahead with preparations. In the meantime, I am taking Mphoeng's name to the Minister (of Local Government) for endorsement,' he said.

The majority of residents supported the installation of Mphoeng and ignored the position of 'Leitlho la Motse'.Moses Seeletso urged the community to be genuine and tell the truth as it had been stressed that no Mmadinare chiefs were appointed from Serowe. Several speakers said Kgamane's meeting was not the right forum to raise the dispute over the succession. Kgosi Elijah Makgoeng of Sekao Ward in Serowe said what Kgamane had brought had long been resolved in 1991 during a consultation meeting when Seeletso first came to Mmadinare. 'Ba lo ganetsang, le ne le seyo mo kgotleng ka nako eo,' he said.  Kgosi Seeletso said he fully consulted on the issue.He added that when he was consulting the opposing group was nowhere to be seen. He said he was disappointed that even some elders are part of the group.

'I was not employed from Serowe. I am a resident of Mmadinare. I despise those who upon retirement poke their noses into chieftaincy issues in a bid to find employment, destabilising our residents in the process,' he said. At the end Kgamane said he was going ahead to write to the minister to endorse Mphoeng as the new Senior Sub Tribal Authority of Mmadinare.