Gamalete cultural group slapped with P110K court bill

Cultural Association and 17 other men who dragged Bogosijwa-ga-Malete to court in August 2023 praying to go for initiation school have been slapped with a huge P110 000 bill of costs.

According to court papers leaked to this publication, Rantao Attorneys who represented the respondents in the matter, being Paramount Chief of Balete, Kgosi

Mosadi Seboko and her advisors - Kgosi Tsimane and Motlhanka Mokgosi - are demanding to be paid over P100 000 for service rendered to clients.

The costs come as a result of Judge Tshepo Motswagole’s judgement of 15th August 2023 in which he threw out the applicants’ application with costs for failing to show why their case should be heard as a matter of urgency.

The applicants had gone to court complaining that Kgosi

Seboko was refusing to let them go to Bogwera (men’s initiation school) and were pleading with court to set aside the orders of

Kgosi Seboko that there should be no Bogwera this year.

They claimed at the time that Kgosi reported them to the police for illegal gathering and they were being harassed. When convincing the judge that the matter was not urgent, Attorney Tshiamo Rantao and team argued that any sense of urgency alleged by applicants was self-created.

They argued that it did not make sense that whilst the applicants had known since the 8th of May that there will be no Bogwera they only came to court on the 8th of August, three months later to complain.

“The applicants’ application was only prepared on the 8th August 2023 and filed on the 9th August 2023. The applicant has not bothered to explain the passage of time from 8th May 2023 to 8th,” they said.

The lawyers argued that it was not clear why the aggrieved did not seek court intervention after becoming aware of Kgosi Seboko’s decision not to have initiation school this year.

They added that in July there had been meetings where Kgosi

Seboko openly explained why she did not want Bogwera this year.

They further denied claims that were made by the applicants that the men who intend to go for Bogwera had smeared some medicine on their body which could cause them lunacy or death if they do not go for Bogwera as planned.

After court ruled that the matter can follow normal processes of court if the aggrieved still sought relief, the men decided to go ahead with Bogwera ceremony without the involvement of Bogosi.

They have since returned home and have named themselves Mayakathata

regiment.

John Moremi who was part of the group that wanted to go to Bogwera against the Kgosi’s

wishes expressed ignorance about the bill of costs when approached for comment.

“Our lawyers have not said anything to us, we will only comment and know the way forward after we have officially been told of the costs,” he said on Tuesday.