Africa-Press – Botswana. A distant, sporadic shout of ‘kgosikgolo!’ from the grandstand of Serowe Sports Complex, where invited guests sit, pierces the airwaves against high-pitched sounds of the public address system.
The shout is meant to attract the attention of Kgosi Khama IV, otherwise Lt. Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama, at the tent that sits on the artificial turf of the pitch.
Khama IV sat flanked by Vice President Mr Ndaba Gaolathe on his left and his royal highness Prince Guduza of Swaziland on his right.
By his confirmation and admission, Mr Lesole Lesole, clad in a t-shirt with the face of Khama IV and waving a placard with the latter’s photographs accompanied by his welcome message, ‘Kgosikgolo E goroga ka pula, Phuti,’ admits that his shouts are elicited by excitement and joy.
To his recollection, from the oral tradition, Mr Lesole recalls that Kgosi Sekgoma II was the last of the paramount chiefs who presided over his people between 1923 and 1925 before his passing on.
At the time of his passing on, his son, the heir apparent Seretse Khama, was still young to assume the roles of a kgosikgolo and the royal uncle Tshekedi Khama assumed the regency from 1925 to 1950, according to Kgosi Mokhutshwane Sekgoma.
Fast-forward to 2024, Kgosi Khama IV is now assuming his birthright role, a move that elicited a concoction joy, disbelief, suspicion, excitement inter alia.
After almost a century of waiting, Ba-Gammangwato will have their rightful traditional leader steering their ship. A historic moment for the tribe.
Mr Lesole of Mpulubusi kgotla in Serowe, believes that Khama IV’s assumption of his seat will ensure that issues of bogosi will begin to run smoothly.
In addition, he is happy to see his chief return to his birthright role after taking break in 1979 to continue serving in military, a journey that later led him into politics where he spent 10 years as a vice president and another as a president.
“I grew up hearing that there has been some regency that spanned more than 100 years. I can’t attest to that save to say I lived to see the regency of Kgosi Mokgacha Mokgadi up to the immediate past Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane,” recalls Lesole.
Ms Florah Letshwenyo-Kgaswane, who finds November 30 as a very successful and historic day for Ba-Gammangwato, says she had longed for Khama IV to return to bogosi despite talks that he could take long to ditch the field that saw him ascend to the highest office in the land.
“But we have always been hopeful that one day he’ll come back to put a smile on our faces, and look at us now,” she says and adds that the day was hugely successful, spiced by attendance of people from all walks of life.
GaMmangwato region comprises of Serowe, Mahalapye, Palapye, Tonota, Tutume, Bobirwa, Boteti and each of these districts has a senior chief representative.
Representing their people, Kgosi Tshipe Tshipe and Kgosi Tlhabologo Boima of Mahalapye region and Mmadikola respectively, say while their people wish Khama IV success and good health, they also invite him to visit them on regular intervals and engage them on pertinent developmental agenda.
Former Ba-Gammangwato regent, Kgosi Sediegeng Kgamane thanked morafe for their cooperation throughout his tenure of 34 years.
“Ke busetsa ngwana wa ga (Sir) Seretse setilo sa gagwe. Ke gone jaaka ha ke laela, Ba-Gammangwato,” Kgosi Kgamane says as he also bid morafe well.
He says he had never sown seeds of discord or fermented any trouble within the tribe since leading them in 1988.
Kgosi Kgamane says he consulted with his superior at all times, taking instructions and guidance from him as per dictates of their agreement.
“I couldn’t trample upon or offend our agreement and this I communicated with political leaders of the time,” he says.
Sitting before the empty fireplace, facing the west, somewhat face to face with a statue of his father that overlooks the kgotla from the west, Kgosi Khama IV meets multitudes of his people who surged in droves into the village epicentre to witness his return to the kgotla.
This is the same kgotla where he was crowned kgosi and draped in lion’s skin in 1979 by Sir Seretse Khama and his uncle, Leapeetswe Khama.
Kgosi Khama IV says his move to join politics in 1997 was a result of consultations with his morafe who gave it a green light.
He then mooted returning to kgotla in 2018 upon the elapse of his presidential term, but his efforts were frustrated by the office of the president then, he says.
He praises Kgosi Kgamane for true allegiance and loyalty.
“They offered him opportunities to abandon kgotla, but he said to them that he was here at my request and that they should seek my permission first.
They lured him twice if not three times,” Khama IV claims.
To get his journey on the track, Kgosi Khama IV has proposed that Seretse Peter Khama be his deputy, a move that was supported and endorsed by the morafe.
Meanwhile, Kgosi Khama IV will juggle the roles of kgosikgolo and former president, a development that may see him away from his morafe.
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