‘BDP is gone for good’- Kgafela II

Bakgatla Kgosikgolo Kgafela II has applauded his tribe and Batswana in general for voting Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) out of power, noting that the party will never to government. The jubilant Kgafela II addressed Bakgatla virtually on Thursday where he applauded them for effectively partaking in regime change by ensuring that BDP does not only loose state power but loses control of Kgatleng district. 

Out of three constituencies Kgatleng East, West and Central, the BDP only managed to win one seat being Kgatleng East through MP Mabuse Pule while Kgafela II’s younger brother Mmusi Kgafela lost in Kgatleng Central. Overall, BDP only managed to win four parliamentary seats from the 61 constituencies that were contested for in 2024 general election. 

Kgafela II said although he had expected regime change to occur in 2029, he is happy that it occurred earlier, adding that he had cursed BDP since the day he was forced to skip the country by BDP regime. “Since I was terribly forced to skip the country, I crossed my fingers and said the day will come BDP will be voted out of state power. Its loss is significant to me and I will be coming back home on the 21st May 2025. This is the day that BDP government wanted to assassinate me, forcing me to skip the country for my safety on 21st May 2012,” said Kgafela II. 

He encouraged Bakgatla to form steering committees and prepare for his return under the new UDC government, buttressing that he doesn’t believe that there can be anything that can affect his planned return under UDC administration. 

Kgafela II said he has since written to president Boko to assure him and his government his support and that of Bakgatla in rebuilding the country and economy which has been mismanaged by the past regime. 

According to Kgafela II, he has lot of confidence on the UDC administration under Boko who is a human rights lawyer, adding that the past administration trampled on his human rights by forcing him to flee his home country. 

Kgaflea II had a fallout with the then Ian Khama administration, which de-recognised him as Bakgatla paramount chief after he refused to join Ntlo ya Dikgosi or become a civil servant under Bogosi Act. 

In October 2011, government took the decision to invoke provisions of Section 15 (b) of the Bogosi Act Chapter 41:01, in the public interest, to de-recognise Kgosi

Kgafela II of Bakgatla with immediate effect. 

Kgafela and some of his regiment members were also facing criminal charges from the government over illegal floggings of Bakgatla as a way of enforcing discipline in Kgatleng. 

Fielding questions from the media last week, Minister of Local and Traditional Affairs Ketlhalefile Motshegwa said the government is not in a position to drop charges laid against Kgafela II should he return home. 

Motshegwa however said Kgafela II just like Khama could feel free to come back home and assume his bogosi duties, adding that the UDC government holds dikgosi in high regard and will give them more powers as bogosi act will be reviewed. 

Constitution 

Meanwhile, Kgafela II said his expectation is that UDC administration will prioritize review of the constitution because change of government gives a very good opportunity for such to occur swiftly

He dismissed the constitutional review that was undertaken under the past BDP regime as fraud and egocentric to the then leaders. 

He said Bakgatla will fully participate in the review of the constitution, adding a new constitution will also become as a blessing for Bakgatla because expectation is that they will get back their land that was previously taken away from them by the BDP government without properly consulting them as Bakgatla. 

“The sound constitutional review will correct all the mistakes that happened from our independence in 1966. As I comeback, we will engage with the government on issues related to our land and I believe that what is ours will be brought back to us. We are in a new democratic era and we expect change,” he said. 

He also said under the new constitution, government will give dikgosi more powers and recognition that they deserve as it is the case in other jurisdictions