Corpun file 14501

Botswana Daily News On Line, 8 November 2004

Mogae to officially hand Seepapitso to Bangwaketse

(extracts)

KANYE -- President Festus Mogae is expected to officially hand over the Bangwaketse paramount chief Kgosi Seepapitso IV back to his community during his (Kgosi Seepapitso's) welcome celebration scheduled for November 13.

Seepapitso returned home on September 1 after serving as Botswana's ambassador to the United States of America in 2000 and later, as Botswana's envoy to China.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting on Thursday last week, Moshupa senior chief representative Kgosi Kgabosetso II Mosielele urged Bangwaketse to get involved and co-operate in the preparations and to ensure that the welcome celebration is a success.

[...]

Seepapitso urged parents to control their children, saying that Kanye residents were not free to move in their own village because of the hooligans.

He said that in the past, he dealt successfully with criminal gangs like Makgaola 7 and Sepekere who were terrorising residents at the time.

He said senior citizens were afraid to go and get their pensions as the hooligans targeted and attacked them to steal their pension money.

The kgotla cheered and ululated when Seepapitso stated that he would administer corporal punishment on the wayward youth, as he "does not think the youth should be taken to prison" as this could end up destroying their future chances of rehabilitation.

Different speakers at the meeting said that children's rights protection officials, Child-line organisation and social workers were an obstacle to parents who tried to discipline their children. They said nowadays, children could sue parents for taking disciplinary action against them.

They urged Seepapitso to take the issue up in Ntlo ya Dikgosi (House of Chiefs) and that together with other community leaders, they should find ways to deal with the Kanye and other hooligans.

[...]

News Source: All local news stories were supplied by the Botswana Press Agency (BOPA)