Bakgatla ba ga Kgafela will take complaints over land allocation, administration and alleged corruption in Kgatleng directly to President Duma Boko.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Bakgatla ba ga Kgafela are set to take their long-running concerns over land allocation, administration and alleged corruption in Kgatleng directly to President Duma Boko, with a petition scheduled for delivery to the Office of the President on Thursday.
Presidency Petition
The planned petition has the backing of Kgatleng Central MP Mpho Morolong, who says land complaints have become a persistent feature of life in the district.
Deputy Paramount Chief of the Bakgatla ba ga Kgafela, Kgosi Bana Sekai Linchwe, confirmed that the tribal leadership would formally present its concerns to the Presidency.
The petition is expected to focus on land allocation and administration, as well as allegations of corruption within land boards.
Cases Referred
The move follows earlier efforts by the tribal leadership to investigate concerns surrounding land administration in the district.
It is understood that a team was assembled to examine some of the complaints, with certain matters subsequently referred to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The nature and outcome of those investigations remain unclear.
Land Board Response
Kgatleng Land Board chairperson Mothusi Molefi confirmed that the concerns raised by Bakgatla and their leadership were known to the Land Board.
He said the institution was working to improve service delivery despite significant resource constraints, adding that some of the complaints were linked to limited capacity.
On allegations of corruption, Molefi confirmed that some matters were before law enforcement agencies. “Those cases should be allowed to take their course,” he said.
Morolong Backs
Morolong said he fully supported the petition and had already written to President Boko inviting him to visit Kgatleng and address Bakgatla on several pressing issues, including land administration.
“I am totally in support of the Bakgatla’s petition,” Morolong said. “Not a day passes without authorities receiving a land board-related complaint in Kgatleng.”
While acknowledging that some problems could legitimately be attributed to inadequate resources, Morolong said shortages could not explain all the complaints.
“While some concerns legitimately relate to under-resourcing, which we are alive to, others are simply a result of laxity and a culture of laziness and impunity,” he said.