05 Jul 2019

Bangwaketse deputy paramount chief, Kgosi Kebapetse Telekelo has clarified the stance of Ga-Ngwaketse tribal leaders following recent public murmurings that some dikgosana are meddling in politics.

Speaking during a packed kgotla meeting in Kanye on Friday 5, Kgosi Telekelo said as Ga-Ngwaketse leaders they found it fit to call a kgotla meeting as soon as possible after realising that there were 11 dikgosana who were suspected to be meddling in politics contrary to the Bogosi act.

He said a group of 11 dikgosana of Ga-Ngwaketse was recently ferried to Gaborone to attend a lunch session at Maharaja Restaurant and Conference Centre with a certain politician, whose motive was to lure them to his side

Kgosi Telekelo said such Dikgosana were warned to refrain from such incidents in the future. 

He said though they do not know what was discussed at the closed meeting, he noted the arrangement of lunch on its own was enough for the said Dikgosana to have meddled in politics.

“We are leaders of the people, therefore we should be uniting and bonding the nation rather than dividing it,” he said.

He said dikgosana in question told them in a debriefing meeting that they were not aware that the lunch was organised by the prominent politician and they had thought it was organised by Paramount chief of Bangwaketse Kgosi Malope II but only realised when it was late.

He also said the dikgosana told them that they were not aware that the lunch would tarnish their image, adding such dikgosana admitted that they had crossed the red zone and they expressed remorse for the wrongs they had done.

Kgosi Telekelo said it was imperative to avert pitfalls that have potential to ruin the reputation of Bangwaketse chieftainship.

He therefore implored the community to play a watchdog role to ensure Bangwaketse tribal leaders were not meddling in politics.

Senior Chief Representative from Kanye, Kgosi Kwelagobe Mookodi shared the same sentiments with Kgosi Telekelo in that the community should ensure Bangwaketse dikgosi do not meddle in politics and remain clean.

Kgosi Mookodi said as the Ga-Ngwaketse leadership they were not aware of the lunch session at Maharaja Restaurant, stating Kgosi Malope II’s hands were clean as he was not also aware of the said function.

Kgosi Mookodi said no kgosi under Ga-Ngwaketse jurisdiction should meddle in politics, adding it was critical as that could cloud their judgments and morafe could lose trust in them.

He said being apolitical would allow kgosi to exercise fairness and integrity.

Kgosi Daniel Mathiba of Mmathethe echoed the sentiments of the two speakers, noting when a kgosi traverses the country he does it representing the paramount chief thus it is critical to seek permission before attending such functions to avert such incidents in the future.

He said they warned the dikgosana in question not to meddle in politics and will keep an eye on them to ensure they adhere to the Bogosi act.  ENDS