13 Jun 2022

Residents of Semotswane have been advised to elect a kgosi because their village does not have a proper royal lineage.

Addressing a fully-packed kgotla meeting recently, Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Sethabelo Modukanele explained that Semotswane was made up of different tribes such as Bakhurutshe, Basarwa, Bangwato and Bazezuru.

Mr Modukanele appealed to the residents to speed up the exercise because the village had been without a kgosi since 2015, following the retirement of Kgosi Balemetse Bailaphuthi.

He said government made several interventions in the Semotswane chieftainship squabbles, but to no avail until government decided that elections be held for lack of a rightful heir to the throne.

Mr Modukanele urged the residents to conduct the election in a fair and transparent manner that would not jeopardise the process.

He said after elections, the name of the person elected would be sent to the ministry for approval.

Semotswane was established 50 years ago and it needs a kgosi to fast-track developments, he added.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Bokamoso Radipitse of Tonota cautioned that politics should not be brought into issues of bogosi.

Giving a vote of thanks, Tonota Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr Chrisjan Machokoto also underscored the importance of conducting the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.

When he retired six years ago, Kgosi Bailaphuthi had expressed a wish for his son, Batang Bailaphuthi to be the heir to the throne, but things took a dramatic twist when people protested the decision. ENDS