We have noted the two parties throwing barbed wires at each other in the public domain in the past. The government through the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development is unrelenting in its position and continues to show the tribe that it is the custodian of bogosi issues.
In the latest episode, the government has seemingly tensed its muscles and has been denying the residents of GammaNgwato in Serowe to access their kgotla to discuss pertinent issues.
It further deployed officers of Botswana Police Service’s para military unit, the Special Support Group (SSG), who seem to have successfully kept the people at bay. The residents could not access their kgotla to discuss tribal issues recently.
Minister Kgotla Autlwetse seems to be a man at war with his tribesmen, as he doesn’t seem to be giving his people a chance to sit around the table with him and collectively find a solution to the issues dividing him and the tribe.
To the Minister, there is a danger in his rigidity as he seems to be avenging a past incident in which the villagers allegedly set his motor vehicle on fire but no culprit seems to have been arrested over the nasty incident so far.
After losing the 2019 General Election and coming back as a Specially Elected MP, Autlwetse hasn’t been at peace with the villagers. He tackles issues of bogosi with a seemingly vengeful mind, which could easily set him on unnecessary collision course with the tribe.
To the residents, there is a danger in any tribe trying to fight its government, as it is at the very government machinery where major decisions about tribal issues are made. The government stands at an advantage as it can use its strength to punish tribes for sins of the past where necessary if the two parties choose to stick to their guns.
The tribe or Serowe villagers cannot easily win any battle against the government even when they think they are right. There is also a risk in engaging in unnecessary skirmishes with the government of the day as it could close doors for future opportunities.
If the tribe has issues with the government they know the route to take to resolve their differences, no matter how long it takes. Our thinking is that, Minister Autlwetse has a simple task of honestly engaging with his people, as both parties really need each other. Finally, we encourage Batswana to celebrate the festive season peacefully.
Today's thought
“If there is to be reconciliation,first there must be truth.”
- Timothy B. Tyson
