As platinum quickly becomes the world’s leading commodity, the Bakwena ba Magopa royal family in the North West is being rocked by a protracted succession dispute that has turned violent.
The royal homestead has been torched and the new regent, Motlalepule Mathibedi, has flown their Bethanie headquarters as different factions fight for control of their land, which is located in the world’s richest platinum fields.
A spokesperson for the tribe, Lawrence Mashigo, has described Mathibedi as a lackey of North West Premier Edna Molewa and business- person Thapelo Elias Tshepe, who allegedly has a vested interest in the clan’s mining interests.
Tshepe is accused of acting for the Bakwena while simultaneously consulting for African Platinum (Afplats), a company seeking a joint venture with the tribe worth R1,9billion.
Tshepe said he stopped representing the tribe in 2003. He quit, he says, because of ”ill-treatment” and began consulting for Afplats.
Afplats CEO Roy Pitchford, who joined the company in 2004, confirmed that Tshepe had never claimed to represent the Bakwena.
Tshepe is no stranger to controversy. He was arrested last year in connection with a Rustenburg-based project called ”Bonolo Farm”, on which the North West department of agriculture spent R1,8-million, despite the absence of business plans. Molewa was the provincial agricultural minister at the time the project was approved. Aggrieved members of the Bakwena cite this as proof of Tshepe and Molewa’s business connection, and the reason for their role in the regency debacle.
In a statement, Molewa denied any impropriety. ”In the past, the provincial government was accused of being motivated by business considerations. We have consistently rejected this. The only interest the premier has in this matter is the stability and prosperity of this community.”
Mathibedi has kept mum about her controversial appointment as regent, and has directed inquiries to the directorate of traditional leadership and institutions in the premier’s office. The directorate manages tribal finances and has to endorse decisions made by tribes.
The tribal dispute dates back to last June. According to the secretary of the Bakwena royal family, Lebo Segale, 1 0 members of the 53-member royal family met on June 16 to discuss alleged maladministration by former regent Segwagwa Mamogale. The new regent’s sister, to achieve the appearance of consensus among members present, falsified minutes of that meeting, Segale claimed.
Last October, the office of the premier informed the former regent that he should vacate his seat at the beginning of November.
Segale maintains that, on November 13, 20 members of the royal family reinstated Mamogale. A letter and minutes of these discussions were dispatched to the premier’s office. At the time of his ousting, Mamogale had a year remaining of his three-year contract with the tribe. ”If Mathibedi must be the regent, it means we must pay Mamogale money for his last year in office, even if he is sitting at home, because he can sue us. We are honouring the Labour Relations Act and the North West Traditional Leadership and Governance Act of 2005,” Segale explained.
Mamogale continues to protest his innocence. ”They didn’t provide proof of the maladministration,” he argued.
A meeting was held between the premier’s office and the royal family on November 27 to settle the dispute. Thousands of Bakwena ba Mogopa congregated at the tribal authority’s offices in Bethanie to hear the outcome.
According to royal family member James Mamogale, the premier’s office would not budge, and insisted that Mathibedi’s appointment was valid.
”They continued instructing us and didn’t take us into consideration,” he fumed.
When news filtered through to the crowd outside, the gathering turned violent. The royal homestead was set alight and police used tear gas to disperse protesters. Mashigo was among those charged with arson. The charges have since been dropped.
The Bakwena tribe intends applying for an interdict in the Mmabatho High Court to prevent Mathibedi from signing documents or conducting business on their behalf until a review of her appointment has been finalised. Platinum has now breached $1 030 per ounce, upping the stakes in the succession battle.