Rasesa Bogosi dispute blows out into the open
Kgosi Letshwenyo Rasesa’s right to the chieftainship challenged Minister Eric Molale appoints Kagiso Buisanyang as Headman of Records He will take over as rightful Kgosi when Rasesa’s contract ends in 2022
Theprotracted chieftainship dispute in Rasesa village is threatening to burst out in the open following events of the past few weeks. On Friday 16th of this month, anxious and seemingly agitated villagers had to be dismissed from the Kgotla where they had gathered ostensibly to receive “feedback” from a 10- man strong Task Force assembled by senior chief representative, Letshwenyo Rasesa.
The Task Team’s main mission was to find out how an opening for the position of Headman of Records had been filled without the express knowledge of Kgosi Letshwenyo Rasesa. The position has been given to Kagiso Buisanyang, who it is said, is the rightful heir of the village chieftainship.
The meeting could not continue on account of the COVID- 19 health protocols to the chagrin of the fidgety residents who had hoped to witness a showdown between Letshwenyo Rasesa and the families of Buisanyang, Ramphaleng and Kgwarapi.
Unfortunately this was not to be since the latter families were not even present at the kgotla on the day. The next meeting has now been arranged for a later time, which had not been ascertained at the time of writing. Earlier that week on Monday, the same Rasesa Kgotla had provided another scene when Rasesa openly defied Mothusa Kgosi of BaKgatla, Kgosi Bana Sekai who had come to present the Headman of Records Buisanyang to him so that he could in turn present him to the tribe at his appointed time. But Rasesa told Sekai that he could not entertain him or his Minister’s appointee and warned him not to set foot in the Kgotla but that he was free to enter the government’s tribal offices. This conduct has set the stage for an open confrontation between the claimants of Bogosi and the incumbent.
Swords are already out for Letshwenyo Rasesa. Matters have not been helped by the appointment of Kagiso Buisanyang to the position of Headman of Records at Rasesa Customary Court by Local Government Minister, Eric Molale.
While this is designed as a stopgap measure to bide time until Letshwenyo Rasesa’s extended contract expires in 2022, when Buisanyang will then ascend to the position of Kgosi, it has allegedly not been well received by Kgosi Rasesa. Rasesa’s conduct when he spurned Kgosi Sekai’s overtures has also added fuel to the burning fire. In fact, so bad is the situation that it is said the ministry is assembling its legal team to advise them of their legal options.
Meantime, the families of Buisanyang, Ramphaleng and Kgwarapi have launched an open campaign to explain how their Bogosi strayed from its bona- fide claimants. Two representatives of the families – Patrick Mabe Buisanyang and Keaboka Buisanyang – told Botswana Guardian in an interview at Rasesa Kgotla that the conflict began during the Mfecane wars, when tribes were being displaced by wars of conquest. According to Patrick Buisanyang, the tribe in Rasesa village is not BaKgatla but originally Basotho of Rra Moletsane who fall under Kgosi Moshoeshoe’s southern Sotho group. Their Totem is the Lion ( Tau). They lived in Lehurutshe then Mafikeng, Molepolole and Tlhaakgame in Botswana. Today they are found in Tswapong in villages like Tumasera, in Shoshong and Kalamare as well as in Nata, Morwa and Bokaa.
From Shoshong, Rasesa group left with Bakaa and settled in Molepolole where they were collectively known as Bakaa. Buisanyang however indicates that their parents were careful at that time to always explain to their children that they are “BaTaung” and not Bakaa.
From Molepolole baga Rasesa and Bakaa went and settled at Tlhaakgame in today’s Bokaa. This was in the early 1900’ s during the time of Kgosi Selalajwangnye of Bokaa. According to Buisanyang this Mokaa Kgosi terrorised BaTaung of Rasesa. They toiled day and night under heavy oppression to till Bakaa’s land, built their storehouses and lived as slaves, just like the Biblical Israelites in Egypt. However one night in 1910 while Mokaa was fast asleep, MoTaung came to his senses and gathered his women and children including livestock and other belongings in readiness to flee. He left that night and went and camped at BaKgatla’s main Kgotla in Mochudi, where Kgosi Linchwe I and his headmen found them and inquired about their presence in the kgotla.
They poured their grievances about their living conditions in Tlhaakgame under Kgosi Selalajwangnye to Kgosi Linchwe I, who then resolved to settle baga Rasesa at a Hill named Ramothobolo ( where the present Rasesa kgotla is housed).
Actually, Buisanyang explains that the VDC houses and Mission houses standing in the area are built on land that belonged to Kgosi Rasesa II and his family.
When Mokaa woke up the next day in Tlhaakgame, he was surprised to find that baga Rasesa had left. “This is how baga Rasesa settled here,” says Buisanyang explaining further that Rasesa I could be the one who settled first in Tswapong.
Keaboka takes the story further. He explains that when baga Rasesa settled here at Ramothobolo ( present day Rasesa village), the tribe once more split. Some remained in Bokaa, others went further to Shoshong, as attested by ward names ( Rasesa) in both villages, whilst others went to Tswapong and others as far as Nata.
“Those of our people that remained here presided over the tribe”. According to their family tree, Rasesa I begot Montshiwa; Montshiwa begot Rasesa II; Rasesa II begot a daughter named Nnopi in the first house; and a further three daughters named Terena, Mmamotswa and Seipei in the second house. Rasesa II’s younger brother, Matlaataeng begot a daughter named Seipei whilst Ramphaleng, being Matlaataeng’s younger brother begot three sons, Kgwarapi, Moreki and Mphakga.
Kgwarapi begot Buisanyang and Tlhatlhariane in the first house and begot in the second house, Lere. This is the family tree that the Buisanyang, Ramphaleng and Kgwarapi families presented to Kgosi Kgafela II to contest Kgosi Letshwenyo Rasesa’s claim to the throne. According to Mabe Buisanyang, Kgosi Letshwenyo’s family tree could not hold a candle to theirs.
In fact their records show that Kgosi Letshwenyo’s fore- parents, Rakota was not born in Rasesa kgotla. According to elders, Eletsang Ramahudiri Kgwarapi and Mmerika Rasesa’s testimonies, Matlaatlaeng, the brother to Rasesa II had one daughter named Seipei.
After Matlaatlaeng’s death, the queen ( Baleseng) and her daughter, Seipei remained in the royal house. They say that is when a Ndebele man named Mpololo from Mokgosi ward in Shoshong arrived and had an affair with the queen and bore a son named Rakota.
Rakota then begot Raseipei and Raseipei begot Molosiwa, Matlhape and Letshwenyo Rasesa ( the latter being the disputed Kgosi in the village of Rasesa).
Continues next week