28 Jan 2014

A trained brick layer by profession has thrown away his overalls and safety boots to lead Letoreng village in Tswapong North.

Born on March 15, 1966 a few months before Botswana attained its independence, Mr Lekang Koboto was raised in a traditional way of rearing livestock and cultivating crops not knowing that one day, he will grow into a reputable figure with the ability to lead a village.

Narrating the story as to how he was finally chosen as the one to lead Letoreng, Kgosi Koboto said before assuming the position of headman of arbitration, he was just an ordinary resident of the ungazetted small settlement of Letoreng and was engaged in the building of houses and other construction works to earn a living.

He said in 1998, at the age of 32, he pioneered the formation of the Village Development Committee. “I was part of a team that initiated the formation of a VDC and was elected as chairman to lead the committee for two years”, he said.

He however said after the death of his grandfather, Mr Ntshese Ogotseng who had volunteered to lead the residents of Letoreng, the settlement stayed for some years without a leader.

Kgosi Koboto said before the 2009 general elections, some residents and members of a certain political party approached and requested him to represent his community in politics as a councillor.

He said looking at the trust that the community had bestowed on him, he conceded to their request but, later found himself at cross roads. Some elderly residents approached him with a completely different offer.

“They wanted me to lead the village as kgosi,” he said. After a thorough analysis and reflection on the two matters, he turned down the offer to join politics and settled for the position of headman even though it was on a voluntary basis as the position attracted no renumeration, compared to being a councillor where there was salary and other financial benefits.

“I was then given the opportunity to lead the village in 2000,” he said. Kgosi Koboto said a few years after he ascended the throne, the village was involved in a fight for land with the Lefowane family who claimed that the residents of Letoreng had settled on their ranch.

He said, through team work and working with the community, the battle was won as they called in government to intervene. He said after the settlement was awarded village status in 2008, he was inaugurated as headman of arbitration in 2009 and started being remunerated after volunteering his services to the village for almost 10 years.

“I also led the VDC as a volunteer for two years,”  he said. Kgosi Koboto said after losing on their claim of ownership of the Letoreng land, the Lefowanes launched a fresh claim now aimed at the village chieftainship.

“They now claim it as theirs, but that does worry me that much as I was chosen by the residents,” he said. Kgosi Koboto is not just an ordinary leader, but also a God fearing individual who leads St Phillips Faith Healing Church, one of the two churches in the village.

While a traditional leader is usually referred to as Mmabatho’ or Kgosi by the tribe, to his congregation, Kgosi Koboto is referred to as Pastor Koboto.

An elderly resident of the village, Mr Piet Moremi, who also appeared to be Kgosi Koboto’s right hand man or advisor as he is always by his side described their leader as a dedicated individual who had displayed his leadership capabilities well when the community was in need. ENDS