04 May 2014

Batawana have welcomed the appointment of Mr Pringle Dithapo as their deputy paramount chief.

They endorsed his name during a kgotla meeting called by the tribal authority to consult the community about their decision to fill the vacant post which fell vacant last year February after the death of Kgosi Pitsoyabosigo Moremi.

The late Kgosi Moremi was appointed deputy chief in 2010 after the death of his father Mathiba Moremi.

Although residents were divided before they could welcome his appointment as some wanted to know if he belonged to the chieftainship while others said he was the rightful heir to the traditional leadership of Ngamiland.

Those who wanted explanation accused tribal leaders for not conducting proper consultation noting that they could have explained to the packed kgotla on how Mr Dithapo fit in the chieftainship. They said the leadership could have checked from the late Moremi and Mathiba’s families before the appointment.

Local headmen also had mixed feeling regarding the decision as some said they were not consulted while others praised Bogosi for following the right procedures to avoid conflict. Kgosi Cosmos Lelatlhego of Moeti who was not against the appointment questioned the criteria used.
Mr Kgato Motai complained about lack of consultation with the communities to solicit their input and ideas. He also wanted to know what would happen to the acting paramount chief if the rightful heir comes back.

Earlier on, Kgosi Kealetile Moremi informed the gathering that a thorough assessment had been conducted adding that the district tribal leaders meet early to look into the issue and agreed to appoint Mr Dithapo. She said several names were suggested but Mr Dithapo emerged the rightful person to fill the post.

She also explained that reference was made to Bogosi Act which states that the paramount chief identify a suitable person and consult the tribe before the name could be endorsed.

She also apologised to headmen for not consulting them earlier noting that it was a mistake that would never happen again.

Meanwhile, Kgosi Charles Letsholathebe explained that before the appointment of Mr Dithapo they followed all the channels and talked to all the potential candidates for the post but most of them had different reasons as to why they were not in a position take up the post.

“We followed the right procedure. Don’t try to lead us to a situation where there will be a wrangle for positions. Our forefathers never fought for positions because they knew the procedure”, he added.

He appealed the community to be calm and appreciate that all the necessary steps had been followed. Kgosi Letsholathebe said bogosi was a sensitive issue which needed to be handled with caution to avoid conflicts and urged the communities to support the decision taken.

For his part, Mr Dithapo thanked Batawana for endorsing his name and appealed for their support so that he executes his duties diligently. He explained that he worked closely with the late Kgosi Moremi and Kgosi Letsholathebe, the father to the paramount chief. ENDS