Starting tomorrow (Monday), three members of the Bakgatla royal family will not be reporting for work after the minister of Local Government interdicted them until their ongoing criminal case before the Gaborone magistrate court is finalised.
The three, Mothibe Linchwe, Sekai Linchwe and Segale, were last week served with interdiction letters signed by the minister of local government, Lebonamang Mokalake.
Paramount chief Kgafela Kgafela is likely to be faced with a serious dilemma in coming up with suitable names of those to act in the vacant posts, especially considering that he can never be sure if his tribe will approve the names that he chooses.
This follows after the Directorate of Public Prosecution officially wrote to the Ministry of Local Government announcing that they had formally criminally charged the three members of Bakgatla royals who are co-accused in both the floggings and destruction of the Mascom tower in Mochudi.
The Deputy Director of Tribal Administration in the Ministry of Local Government, Tumelo Seboko, confirmed to Sunday Standard the interdiction of the three.
“The Minister of Local Government has interdicted three members of Bakgatla royal family after the ministry was formally written to by the Directorate of Public Prosecution that they had laid criminal charges against them,” Seboko said, adding that the interdiction includes the Customary Court of Appeal president, Mothibe Linchwe, deputy chief of Bakgatla Sekai Linchwe and Segale.
Seboko said that it is in accordance with the law that once a government official is charged with a criminal offense, they are suspended from duty until the case is completed, adding that if found guilty by the court of law, the person would then be dismissed but if acquitted they would be reinstated.
The minister has not yet announced the Acting Customary Court of Appeal President.
Seboko said Kgafela Kgafela will not be interdicted because he is not paid by government while the other three have been interdicted because they are on government payroll.
