Mosielele Calls For Swift ConCourt

Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele of Manyana has endorsed the government’s proposal to establish a Constitutional Court, calling it a long-overdue and noble step toward protecting constitutional rights. Kgosi Mosielele showed his support for the proposed court during a kgotla meeting addressed by the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ignatius Moswaane in Moshupa on Tuesday. Although the Constitution guarantees every tribe the right to freely exercise its customs and traditions, he said the Tribal Territories Act, had created conflicts by subordinating minority groups to larger ones.

Kgosi Mosielele explained that some of the so-called eight major tribes have historically prevented minority tribes from fully practicing their traditions, treating them as subordinates. He described this as disheartening and cited a specific incident in which authorities confiscated a leopard skin intended for his chiefly installation ceremony. “This denied the Bahurutshe the opportunity to observe their customs, despite constitutional protections for such practices.

The community was deeply aggrieved but lacked the resources to pursue legal action at the time. Even if they had, the process would have been prolonged,’’ he said. Welcoming the proposed Constitutional Court, Kgosi Mosielele urged the Assistant Minister to provide a clear timeline for its establishment.

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He stressed that human rights violations occurred daily and required swift action. Every tribe, he said, for instance, deserved full recognition, including having its Kgosi acknowledged and seated in the House of Chiefs. In response, Assistant Minister Moswaane stated that a Constitutional Court would help protect the rights of all citizens and emphasised the government’s commitment to restoring the powers of Dikgosi. The consultations are part of the government’s nationwide engagements to gather public input on establishing the Constitutional Court with a view to protect the rights of the citizenry and uphold the rule of law.BOPA

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