15 May 2024

Kgosi Kgafela II of Bakgatla has revealed his plans to return to Botswana from South Africa in 2030.
Kgosi Kgafela II revealed this addressing Bakgatla virtually from South Africa during the Leobo La Kgotla official opening at the main kgotla in Mochudi on May 11.

He told droves of Bakgatla who had thronged the main kgotla to witness the official opening of multi-million pula state-of-the-art shelter that his arrival in 2030, would coincide with implementing a 10-year plan (2030-2040) which would focus on developing Kgatleng and improving the lives of his people.

He added that his vision was to transform Kgatleng into a beehive of activities that would entail self-sufficiency in food, crime free and people that were fulfilled in many respects.
He encouraged Bakgatla to attend kgotla meetings he continued to address in South Africa during which he shared his vision with other community members.

Meanwhile, Kgosi Kgafela II relocated to South Africa in 2012 following a legal battle with government over flogging incidents in Kgatleng.

For his part, the event’s organising committee chairperson, Mr Lesedi Seitei told the gathering that construction of the new kgotla shelter project was important as kgotla was a platform for the community to discuss, deliberate and make decisions on issues that affected them as well as sharing information, among others.

Mr Seitei also said the kgotla system was a forum where critical issues affecting the community and development in general were taken.

“In that regard, it is important for the community to improve its meeting place because all collective engagements are done at the kgotla including settling disputes and other traditional practices such as announcement of the ploughing season and commencement of initiation activities (go bolotsa letsema le go bolotsa bogwera and bojale),” he said.

Giving a brief overview on the history of the kgotla shelter, Prof. Christian Makgala said the significance of the kgotla had, from time immemorial, always been important as a traditional mechanism of consultation where Dikgosi met with their subjects.

Prof. Makgala said the centrality of the kgotla as a meeting place had also always played an important role as the arbitration place and the home for socialisation and cultural activities such as commencement of initiation activities (bogwera and bojale).
He added that the kgotla shelter in Kgatleng and others across the country used to be simple structures made of tree logs of different shapes and sizes alongside the tribal administration offices.

As such, he encouraged tribal leaders not to completely stamp out the old kgotla structures of tree logs as had been the case over the years to replace traditional shelters with modern structures.  BOPA