The suspended Deputy Paramount chief of Bakgatla, Sekai Linchwe, has described, Eric Molale, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, as a “liar”.
On the other hand, Ramadeluka Seretse, the minister of Justice, Defense and Security, and Parks Tafa, a prominent lawyer of Collins and Newman Attorneys, tried to plead with the Bakgatla paramount chief to allow the ministers to address “morafe” tribe but failed.
Sekai’s strong sentiments follow after the indefinite suspension of a kgotla meeting that was scheduled to be held today (Thursday) at the main kgotla in Mochudi.
The meeting was expected to be addressed by two ministers, Peter Siele and Lebonamang Mokalake, and Attorney General Molokomme.
“We were not officially told about the meeting but the only person that received the invitation to the meeting was the tribal secretary,” Sekai told members of the media in the morning.
He said when he was listening to the news bulletin on Radio Botswana, the PSP alleged that the meeting had been postponed because there was a delegation from the royal family that wanted to meet with the Office of the President in the morning.
He explained that when he heard “those lies, I went straight to the royal house on top of the hill and asked him about what was said in the news bulletin. Kgafela was shocked to hear such a thing from radio Botswana”.
“With a serious face the PSP is telling blue lies,” he said.
Sekai strongly denied that there are any royal members that met with the Office of the President earlier in the morning.
He said they cancelled the meeting on their own.
“Kgafela briefed me that yesterday minister Seretse as well as Parks Tafa had a meeting with Kgafela,” said Sekai.
He said both Seretse and Tafa tried to persuade Kgafela to allow ministers to hold meetings in the kgotla and Kgafela declined.
He said they were patiently waiting for the meeting to take place and swear that the meeting would not have materialized until both had met with the Office of the President in a meeting they have long asked for.
“We would not have allowed them to address the meeting,” he said, adding that yesterday, Batlokwa royal family, led by Kgosi Michael Gaborone, went to Mochudi and got first hand information from them. He described it as a good approach.
Sekai said that so far, Batlokwa are the first tribe to visit Bakgatla to seek first hand information on the dispute between Bakgatla and the government.
In a brief interview, minister Seretse said, “Yes, yesterday I was in Mochudi where I grew up.”
He said he went to Mochudi to meet his elders as well as Mma Seingwaeng, mother to Kgafela.
“This was just an informal meeting nothing to worry about or write news about,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kgatleng District Commissioner, Wame Samapipi, said that Kgosi Pone is currently in-charge and is also linking the government and the tribe.
She refuted allegations that were said by Sekai that she is under pressure from the government.
“I am not under pressure and what I have discussed with Sekai was informal as you are aware that he is under suspension,” said Samapipi.
