Mahatma Gandhi once said “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”.
Even in self-imposed exile, Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela Kgafela II of the Bakgatla ba Kgafela tribe continues to make newspaper headlines here in Botswana and in South Africa where he resides. Kgafela Kgafela “The Great “is indeed a hero and an icon.
Few like him are born. We all are aware of that (in) famous interview held at Duma Fm and the subsequent development that followed there after driven by outright petty jealousy, hate and dis-respect to the Bakgatla ba Kgafela tribe and its Kgosi Kgolo.
I posit that many do not wish to see the current impasse regarding the Kgafela saga and the state coming to an end. The state too is taking a cosmetic approach knowing fully well that their egos have been dented for their wish was to see Kgafela Kgafela taking the route of Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo of the amathembu tribe in SA – incarcerated and humiliated for the offences he did not commit. How sad!!!!!
Kgosi Kgolo Kgafela “The Great” has seen them all. His has had his plan of uniting and bringing together his tribe for a common goal and purpose being hijacked and crumbled. This is because his project rubbed some jealous politicians the wrong way and some even went to the extent of making reckless and insensitive remarks with deliberate intension to sow seed of discord more especially against the Bakgatla ba Kgafela. The upsurge in popular protests against Bakgatla project to reclaim their dignity was viewed with great suspicion that culminated into a series of legal suits against him, his tribesmen and other senior royals.
After Regional Magistrate Barnabas Nyamadzabo committed King Kgafela Kgafela II, his brother Morena Mmusi together with other Bakgatla ba Kgafela royals and tribesmen for remand pending their trial, one legal eagle remarked:
“This will be a long remembered judgment with shame and as one of the most discreditable affairs in the history of our judicial system of this land.” What is wrong with our judicial system? He continued. “This is criminal and we cannot let this rot continue. A man must be hanged for his wrong doings but justice must be fair. What I have witnessed today is the worst crime ever in the history of our judicial system and god forbid, I may have to hang my robe and trade it with something else. Not this!!! Never before as a practicing lawyer have I ever witnessed a presiding magistrate assume the role of a prosecutor and sentencing someone on the basis of hearsay and on newspaper articles. If the judiciary will dispense injustice by handing down perverted pieces of judgment which smack of subverting the people’s government’ then this is the saddest day in our judicial system indeed.”
King Kgafela Kgafela II’s remand in custody was met with great excitement. No one wanted to miss the historic moments and many people did not want to be outdone. It was indeed a week of fun to many people, academics, politicians alike and some even going to the extent of throwing diatribes and making false statements that King Kgafela Kgafela the Great was embarking on a dangerous mission of creating a state within a state. He wanted to secede, some alleged. And some even went to the extent of out rightly being economical with truth. THEY JUST LIED.Some even became reckless, out rightly irresponsible, as they engaged in petty gossip and even suggested that KK KKII wanted to commit crime of the highest order and incite violence.
The curtain had fallen down in Kgatleng; poor Bakgatla ba-Kgafela became subjects of ridicule and abuse. At work places it was worse with some Bakgatla Ba Kgafela or supporters of The King even being threatened to be fired from work, no promotion (s), no further personal developments and trainings. Bakgatla became part and parcel of institutional corridor gossip.
The youthful Kgosi became a subject of debate after introducing reforms in Kgatleng that had positive outlook. Amongst the many positive reforms that King Kgafela II introduced is the spirit of selfÔÇôreliance, respect amongst one another and elders, moral regeneration and re-introduction of traditional initiation rites (Bogwera & Bojale). All these must be noted that King Kgafela Kgafela II introduced after he was given the mandate by his tribe to do so. Ironically the reforms introduced by Kgafela in Kgatleng were reflected in the recommendations passed by the Puso Commission, the Presidential Task Force that was set up by President Ian Khama in 2008. As part of the recommendations, Dikgosi were tasked with re-introducing traditional initiation rites in all their communities as this has been helpful in instilling discipline, peer education and up-bringing of their children and could be done during the school holidays.
King Kgafela Kgafela II is however a good and honest man who unfortunately was made to walk through a tight political rope. King Kgafela Kgafela II is a visionary. He is a hero and simply a trend setter who was misunderstood mainly by some jealous politicians. The primary intensions of the jealous politicians were mainly to cut the kings wings. They failed to engage him and saw his initiatives as a threat and competing with their own. Bakgatla ba Kgafela have to date cried out loud to the powers that be, speaking with one voice “BRING BACK OUR KING”. They have presented their petition and have said out their prayers; they want their King back and Botswana also needs him. Bakgatla ba Kgafela have presented their petition asking the highest political office to forgive and forget. To this day nothing has been done. One can only hope and wish for the best for social justice to take cause and not criminal justice.
As Khama once said; “We live in a time when jealousy of one another is going to self destruct our nation”. The jealousy and the bad mouthing vented out against the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela King, celebrated by many in some cases sponsored through the exchange of the brown envelope is not a panacea. History books are there to inform and impart knowledge about the Bakgatla ba Kgafela’s Bogosi and lineage. It is not for the wishful losers, politicians or some fake commission to try and bring it down and collapse it as it has been done in other tribes. If other tribes have failed to uphold theirs where it has become ceremonial by continuing to have regents it is their own to DEAL with. They must not be driven by ill motives by using political office and positions to try and bring down the pride of the Bakgatla ba Kgafela nation. They have done everything in their best interest, became copy cats by way of having sponsored walks labeling it as go bolotsa Bogwera. Now thugs are being treated and sent to luxurious executive places under the disguise of being rehabilitated replacing Tswana culture and custom.
*Thabo Lucas Seleke is a scholar & researcher
