02 Feb 2017

Ntlo Ya Dikgosi has rejected a motion, which called for restructuring of the department of tribal administration as well as transferring it to the Office of the President.

Presenting the motion at the ongoing Ntlo Ya Dikgosi session on January 31, Kgosi Galeakanye Modise of Tswapong region said the department was one of the oldest institutions in the country yet it was inadequately resourced both in infrastructure and skilled human resource.

He noted that though this department was found in every corner of the country, it was not taken into serious consideration though it played an important role in the lives of many Batswana. 

In addition, he said tribal secretaries were salaried lower than their counterparts in other departments at district level.

In view of this, he proposed that the director of tribal administration and tribal secretaries should be elevated in terms of scale since they were  charged with numerous duties while at the same time they were not well resourced to meet public service delivery expectations. 

Kgosi Modise said the department should be moved to the Office of the President because it was only through that move that there would be tangible results in terms of its growth and integrity as well as meeting its targets as it would preside over its budget. 

Rejecting the motion, Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe of Mahalapye region noted that the mover should first understand the relevance of the current ministry in which the tribal administration fell under. 

He said the tribal administration and kgosi's duties were defined by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Administration and as such it woyuld be ill-advised to move it to OP.

In addition Kgosi Tshipe said members of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi had already submitted their proposal to government regarding how it should restructured and that they had agreed in principle with government that they would be given a feedback, before they could embark on another option.

He argued that there was no need to transfer the department but rather the government should improve the current disturbing conditions there which were alluded by the mover of the motion.  

Kgosi Thabo Maruje III Masunga, who is specially elected member, however wondered whether the department has sufficiently evaluated and audited itself what Bogosi of yesterday was and today is. 

He said tribal administration is the embodiment of local governance and to move to another office might kill its relevance.

Kgosi Maruje noted that currently many people are forming opinions on what bogosi is. 

According to Kgosi Maruje, lack of availing of adequate resources at this department is because of discord between it and the government.

However many dikgosi among them Kgosi Disho Ndohwe of Okavango Region and Kgosi Thebe Makwa of Moshupa Region argued that the tribal administration should left where it is while they await pending answers from government. 

On the other part Kgosi Kgomotso Boiditswe of Serowe Region said the mover of the motion is merely frustrated at the level at which resources are inadequately distributed among departments. 

He however warned government that is this thing continues, such motions such as this one will continue to resurface.  

In response to dikgosi, assistant minister of presidential affairs, governance and public administration Mr Thato Kwerepe said the government has over the years carried Organisation and Methods (O&M) Studies in ministries and departments to determine the relevance of their mandates and grouping of their related functions. 

He noted that these exercises do sometimes result in re-location of such functions to ministries or departments where they can be performed efficiently and effectively.  

Furthermore, minister Kwerepe said the Directorate of Public Service management (DPSM) has carried out such exercises in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the most recent being 2010 which was approved by Upper Panel in July 2010.

He noted that according to the findings and analysis of the mandate and functions of the department of tribal administration, it was found to be facilitating the offices of Dikgosi to promote development and security through direct engagement of their tribesmen and to prosecute any matters in relation to Customary Laws in order to maintain law and order in their communities.

In addition to this, he noted, the Office of Dikgosi was found to be responsible for community development and local governance through citizen engagement at the lowest level of decentralized governance structures and as such is appropriately linked with Local Authorities. The motion was therefore defeated. BOPA