Karakubis bogosi
lenged rulers of Karakubis. If any of their children is interested in being kgosi, and this goes for the Botshake family as well, let them go into an open contest with whoever wants to be kgosi and let the morafe be the final adjudicator, at least at
kgotla level. We need to continue following the selection process that has sustained us through all the years, that is the kgotla selection process that is open and transparent. Our rulers have always been chosen by unanimous agreement, clear and simple. What needs to be done is bring pressure to bear on those whose mandate it is to expedite the appointment of a kgosi for the village to put their act together and have the matter attended to at the least possible inconvenience.
Where the District Commissioner’s Office is considered not to have performed to expectation let it be made known to them that the morafe is anxiously awaiting word from them as to how to proceed. Someone should surely by now have been to the kgotla to inform the people that they no longer have a kgosi that they need to choose a new one and possibly suggest to them how to proceed. Where the Village Development Committee has to play a part let it be clearly spelt out where they come in and with whom they should work.
In situations where things seem to have come to a standstill, people need to bring their heads together and map the way forward. Where possible the VDC and the headmen of arbitration may come together in a meeting specifically for selecting those that they will send to the DC’s Office to deliver the morafe’s message of frustration.
Where necessary they could explain the reasons for their action to the morafe at a later date.
And yet there is another dimension to the
bogosi issue, the question of from which ethnic group our kgosi should come. One interesting thing with modern times is that the ethnic groups that were once marginalised are now vocal and want to stand up and be counted. They can no longer accept their subordinate status or the fact that their numbers are so low as to be considered negligible.
If they have the right candidates, the Bakgalagadi, Basarwa and Ovaherero must submit their names for consideration also. After all they, too, are bona fide inhabitants of Karakubis in whose upbringing we all have inevitably played a part, at both individual and collective levels.
Bogosi should no longer be a monopoly or preserve of the Barolong and Batlharo alone. And closely related to the dimension of equality of access across the ethnic divide is the question of involvement of the womenfolk in community affairs. Issues of equality of the sexes have now taken centre stage in our political, social and economic discourse and we must let and encourage our women to contest for positions of responsibility alongside their male counterparts.
In other parts of the country women have taken up the challenge and now occupy positions of authority that until recently were the domain of men.
The time has come for places like Karakubis to have their own Mosadi Sebokos and Mosadi Seipones. We need to move with the times and let women openly offer their candidature for bogosi in Karakubis. We have sayings in Setswana that run, “Logonyana lwa modisa lotlharapana, ga lo ke lo galalwa lo ya kgotleng,” meaning “Any contribution from a man whose occupation constrains him to perform to satisfaction must, however insignificant, be recognised,” and “Mmua lebe o bua la gagwe, gore mona lentle a le tswe” which means, “any form of performance not adequately executed needs to be perfected by those who have the ability to do so.” Not only is the foregoing my piece of firewood delivered to the kgotla, it also is an invitation to those who may have an alternative opinion to freely join in the discourse.
It is my humble contribution to issues of bogosi in Karakubis which seeks to unravel some underlying problems of which some may not be aware. It is my wish that the article provokes further discussion of the issues at stake and in that way help propel us forward to come up with a solution which inevitably must be homegrown, for we can
not have anyone coming from elsewhere to solve problems for us. The question of resolution of issues surrounding our bogosi must be made by us residents of Karakubis, in the terms and conditions best known to and understood by us all. The choice of our next ruler must be an “all morafe” affair that should not leave out any group, whether on the basis of ethnicity or some other reason. All meetings convened for the specific purpose of discussing issues of succession must be widely publicised. We must enter the kgotla as equals and must stand firm and resolute in stemming the tide of possible pretensions of entitlement.