By BAKANG MOKOTO
The situation nearly turned tense at the Ramokoka village during an engagement meeting between the North West Premier, Prof Job Mokgoro and community on Tuesday. Some of community members stormed into a meeting singing strugglibg songs, while Mokgoro addressing other community members.
The community members barricaded roads, torched few houses belonging to headmasters and prohibited children to go to school since June 2018 demanding that the current chief, Kgosi Joy Ramokoka be dethroned.
Community leader, Charles Makinita said the Ba-Phalane Traditional Council is marred with maladministration, corruption and fraud.
“Ramokoka created a trust that he imposed on us along with his cronies. The mines operating in our area deposited almost R400m in that trust, but we do not know what happened to that money.
“We welcome Mokgoro’s decision to bring interventions. This are the necessary interventions aimed at bringing stability in our area. We will see how this ends and we will take it from there. There are so many people who are former leaders who also orchestrated these corruption activities and we cannot allow that,” Makinita said.
Mokgoro invoked Section 10 (2) read with Section 9 (3) of the North West Traditional Leadership and Governance Act, Act No 2 of 2005 as an intervention measure.
He said Section 10 (2) states that the Premier may, subject to the provisions of this Act and the Constitution and with due observation of the tradition applicable in a traditional community, take such steps as may be necessary to ensure the due performance of the functions referred to in subsection (1).
“On the other hand, Section 9 (3) states that the Premier may take such steps, not inconsistent with this Act, to ensure proper administration and good governance by traditional councils. The intervention measures to be put in place would involve the appointment of investigators with clear terms of references relating to issues raised around administration and good governance.
“To bring stability, members of the community are urged to cooperate with and support the intervention team. Furthermore, we appeal with the Ba-Phalane boo Ramokoka to allow learners to go to school, allow the clinics to open and daily operations to continue, while the intervention is unfolding,” he said.
Mokgoro also announced that due to the sensitivity of the prevailing situation and to bring stability, the intervention will be with effect from today.
The Guardian 