FIGHT FOR LAND
Bamalete, Government meet again in Court this Friday
The Court of Appeal (COA) will on Friday hear the controversial case in which Bamalete Landboard is appealing the High court’s decision that the disputed Forest Hill 9-KO farm belongs to the Balete tribe.
The Bamalete Land Board is represented by the Government’s Legal Advisor, the Attorney General.
In 2017, Bamalete Landboard approached court seeking the cancellation of a title deed passed in favour of Bamalete tribe in respect of the farm, stating that they are the land authority in charge of all land.
Government also wants the Court of Appeal to direct Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Ramotswa to hand over the title deed of the land. Kgosi Seboko led her tribe to victory last year leaving government bitterly displeased hence the state’s recourse to the COA to decide the farm’s rightful owner between them and Balete. Land board believes firmly that the land belongs to them arguing that the tribe gave the land to land board willingly. They say the tribe is the one that made a request for the state to manage its various farms.
On the other hand, Bamalete have vowed to fight for their land with all their might. They have vowed to stand firm with Kgosi Seboko until the very end, even if she gets punished for disobeying government orders, they vow to stand with her. On the 11th of October this year, Balete went en-masse to the COA
where it was expected that the appeal would be heard. On that day, buses had ferried mostly the elderly from Ramotswa to Gaborone. They carried placards declaring support for Kgosi Seboko. They also wore branded Bamalete T shirts.
However, all returned home disappointed after judges handling the case said the appeal is likely to be heard next year. This was after it was found by CoA Judges that both parties – the applicants and
respondents – did not follow proper procedures when filing. Thus, court instructed that they bring their applications on November 18th only then will the CoA decide if the matter can be heard next year January or not. To show that they will not be backing down regardless of the COA decision, Senior Chief Representative Kgosi Motlhanka Mokgosi told The Midweek Sun on the day that if needs be, they will seek help across borders. “The truth is that we should not be seen to be trying to be difficult as many think, we are fighting for what is rightfully ours. We are calm now but if constantly harassed over our land, Balete will not hesitate to kick back and very hard. “The situation is calm for now and Balete will patiently wait. If things do not go our way, we will not take it lying down, we will not fold arms. We will pursue every avenue even if it means getting help from outside the country, we will see where to get help,” Mokgosi vowed.
He explained that the farm in dispute is of great significance to Balete. They have big plans for it and they were even thinking of investing in part of it. What they do not understand is why government wants to take it away from them. “We do not know why they want it or maybe they are just flexing muscles because they have the power to do as they want,” he said. He added that there is no need for all the war that is currently raging, but all it takes to end it is to sit down and talk issues out. Sadly, government does not want to talk, he said. “They came to us ready for war. We are not against developments in that land. All they had to do was tell us what they want to do with the land. We could have negotiated and seen if an agreement would have not been reached,” Mokgosi said. Kgosi Seboko who publicly accused President Mokgweetsi Masisi of meddling in the judicial processes in Ramotswa, told The Midweek Sun that she is ready for anything.
All she is doing is fighting for her people, she has nothing against anyone, including the President, she said.