BY NCHIDZI SMARTS
A Bogosi conflict is brewing and threatening to rock the village of Sefhare.
Senthufe Moswang, a former messenger of the late Chief Phalalo Methaleng, is reported to have made a bid for the position after serving in the kgotla as the chief’s right hand man for close on 60 years. Moswang’s claim has sparked differences among Batswapong in Sefhare.
Moswang had work with Chief Phalalo Methaleng since 1948. When the latter fell ill he installed his brother, Onneng, in his position where he remained in until Phalalo died in 2006.
Last week the village elders gathered at a closed kgotla meeting to find a way forward. It is understood that at the meeting Moswang contended that he had been active in the affairs of the village for a very long time, was of chieftainship lineage and should be rewarded accordingly. He also queried the appointment of Legapu Modise as headman of record for the Moribegwane ward; and felt that he has been by-passed for the position.
Residents who attended the hearing were unhappy with the outcome and said the decisions taken during the deliberations were likely to set a bad precedence. The meeting had concluded that the two parties should meet and negotiate how to reward Moswang; the possibility of Moswang working with Methaleng, as he had worked with his brother, was mooted.
“Moswang has no basis for his claim. It is very clear that he is not of chieftainship lineage ; he claimed that he was one of the royal uncles but Methaleng had denied this. What he wants is to be rewarded for his long service; he only wants payment because he suggested that if he were made headman of arbitration and got a salary position, that would be sufficient reward for his services,” a village elder told The Gazette.
Another village elder pointed accommodating Moswang would not work because there was deep rivalry and mistrust between the two factions.
Though Moswang accepted the decision of the kgotla , Methaleng and his family were skeptical. Methaleng’s family said outright that they did not trust Moswang and felt that he might worm himself into the good books of the chief’s family’s good and then stage a coup against Onneng.
“There is going to be a crisis, Moswang can’t be headman of arbitration because he does not have a ward. For his services he could be made a land overseer, we acknowledge that he did a lot in the community,” said a relative of the Chief.
One of the arbitrators, Kgosi Mpeo Mpeo, however felt that the decision taken at the meeting would yield results and possibly end the deadlock. “They are elders and I believe their negotiations will bring a positive result because they agreed to negotiate so we will wait for them to come to us with their decision.”
For now the village will just have to wait and see what the two parties will agree on and whether it will bring peace to the village.
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