Concerned members of the Catholic Church in Botswana are calling for an investigation into Bishop Valantine Seane’s alleged lavish lifestyle and questionable awards of church projects.
Calls for an investigation follow allegations that the Bishop is living in a P2 million house in Block 8 Gaborone (plot number 37149.)
The Catholic flock further argues that the lack of transparency in the awarding of church projects to a favoured few suggests that Seane may be misdirecting Church funds for gains other than that of the Church.
“Bishop Seane can afford to live in a P2 million house yet he has unilaterally abolished the stipend of about P900 per month for Priests which has had a toll on the Diocesan Priests who not only have no Religious Orders to support them, but also have no privilege of going anywhere.
The Bishop’s office has, however, twice refused to respond to enquiries insisting that we reveal our sources.
Catholic sources speak of a growing concern amongst the faithful that “a vacuum exists in the leadership of the Church”. The division and deepening dissent in the Botswana Catholic church is raising questions on whether Bishop Seane is fit to unite and lead the flock.
Members of the Church allege that Seane disrespects other workers of the Church who are not Priests. They allege the deacons feel snubbed as they are treated as glorified Altar Servers.
“This cadre was introduced by Bishop Emeritus Setlalekgosi after realizing that there were no sufficient Priests. The lay communion givers and funeral leaders are now subjected to stringent rules of asking for permission from Priests to perform their duties. Thus, some of them have now decided not to bother about this calling for they are a misfit in the new Diocese,” another source alleges.
Sources say the fundamental issues are the growing factions within the Church leadership between Bishop Valentine Seane and Father Johannes Kgaodi who recently resigned from the post of Vicar General.
Sources allege that Kgaodi was always kept in the dark most of the time as the bishop consulted his “Lay Consulters” who are his childhood friends from Lobatse.
On the resignation of Kgaodi, sources say the Church leadership became economical with information by confining discussion to the time Kgaodi resigned. Sources allege that Bishop Emeritus Setlalekgosi knew all the problems Kgaodi had in his relationship with Bishop Seane. It is alleged that Kgaodi kept Setlalekgosi abreast about the unfortunate relationship between the two. Further, sources allege Kgaodi resigned because he did not want to be used to legitimize Bishop Seane’s unilateral decisions.
The concerned Catholics say they would like to see “a conclusion to the nightmarish phase our Diocese is going through.” They are calling for a transparent investigation by the Church.
