Bafokeng Land Buyers Association triumphed over the monarch by Eric Mokuoa
Hundreds of the community members across
Bafokeng communities came to celebrate a
court victory against their Chief on the 21
March. The Royal Bafokeng Chief/Kgosi Leruo
Molotlegi and his lieutenants in the Royal
Bafokeng Traditional leadership have faced
fierce objections from the community on their
attempt to snatch land without consultation.
The Royal Bafokeng Traditional authority was stopped on their tracks to covertly register 61 farms in their name. Apparently, the traditional authority was acting without any official mandate when attempting to transfer the communities’ land in the Royal Bafokeng’s name. In the run up to seek the land registration the authorities avoided by all means to consult with the community, an opted to rushed to the courts. The land is believed to be owned privately by families and some by communities including the Baphiring, Bamogono, Bachana., Thekwana, Tlaseng, Tsitsing, Photsaneng and so on.
The Bafokeng self-crowned monarch has since in the mid 1990’s referred to their chief as the King. This has generated crude arrogance amongst the authority and was visible in its staff towards the subjects. Bafokeng are known locally as people full of pride. This attitude has led to the culture of resource misappropriation, lack of accountability and brazen disrespect of the community. Given this rude attitude build in character to the authority, they Royal Bafokeng saw no need to consult with the community on such a crucial issue.
The North West Supreme court of appeal has ordered the Royal Bafokeng Authorities to consult with the community and find consensus on how they would deal with the land.
The court’s decision has serious bearing on the application put by the Royal Bofokeng Authority to register 61 farms in their name. This abort the Royal Bafokeng authorities action to seize the land which claimed to belong to clans within the communities.
Royal Bafokeng Authories are given fifteen days by the court to bring forth the appeal which is likely to head to the constitutional court or to humbly begin the negotiations with the community on how to move forward with the land management and ownership.
The Royal Bafokeng Traditional authority was stopped on their tracks to covertly register 61 farms in their name. Apparently, the traditional authority was acting without any official mandate when attempting to transfer the communities’ land in the Royal Bafokeng’s name. In the run up to seek the land registration the authorities avoided by all means to consult with the community, an opted to rushed to the courts. The land is believed to be owned privately by families and some by communities including the Baphiring, Bamogono, Bachana., Thekwana, Tlaseng, Tsitsing, Photsaneng and so on.
The Bafokeng self-crowned monarch has since in the mid 1990’s referred to their chief as the King. This has generated crude arrogance amongst the authority and was visible in its staff towards the subjects. Bafokeng are known locally as people full of pride. This attitude has led to the culture of resource misappropriation, lack of accountability and brazen disrespect of the community. Given this rude attitude build in character to the authority, they Royal Bafokeng saw no need to consult with the community on such a crucial issue.
The North West Supreme court of appeal has ordered the Royal Bafokeng Authorities to consult with the community and find consensus on how they would deal with the land.
The court’s decision has serious bearing on the application put by the Royal Bofokeng Authority to register 61 farms in their name. This abort the Royal Bafokeng authorities action to seize the land which claimed to belong to clans within the communities.
Royal Bafokeng Authories are given fifteen days by the court to bring forth the appeal which is likely to head to the constitutional court or to humbly begin the negotiations with the community on how to move forward with the land management and ownership.
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