BRITS, North West — ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Saturday campaign visit to Brits was briefly disrupted when members of the Bapo ba Mogale Royal Family confronted him over a long-running chieftaincy dispute. The protest highlighted growing frustration among community members who allege that repeated calls for presidential and provincial intervention have gone unanswered, casting a spotlight on traditional leadership tensions in the region.
During the visit, the President was directly approached by royal family members expressing deep dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. One protester publicly accused the President of failing the royal family, emphasizing that their pleas for assistance regarding the chieftaincy issue in the area have been consistently ignored.
The roots of the dispute trace back to 2016, during the tenure of former North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo. At that time, the provincial government appointed a commission chaired by legal advocates to investigate the traditional leadership matter. The commission’s recommendations concluded that Andrew Mogale was the rightful heir of Bapo ba Mogale, leading to his assumption of the role at that particular time.
However, this decision did not resolve the underlying tensions, as certain family members remained deeply unhappy with the outcome. This dissatisfaction fueled the recent commotion and direct confrontation with the President, with protesters asserting that he has failed both the community and the royal family.
The chieftaincy dispute has also been entangled in the legal system. The matter reached the courts, which subsequently ruled that the provincial government must intervene by appointing a commission of inquiry. Following this judicial directive, the commission of inquiry was duly established and took place.
Despite these procedural and legal steps, the sense of grievance persists. A royal family member identified as Itumeleng Moerane was at the forefront of the confrontation, vocally declaring her unhappiness and reiterating the sentiment that the President has failed the royal family in addressing their longstanding traditional leadership concerns.
The incident underscores the complex intersection of traditional governance, provincial administration, and national political campaigns in the North West, as communities continue to seek definitive and lasting resolutions to historical disputes.