Baloyi commission was not about maladministration – Kgosi Pilane

Leader of the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela in Moruleng, Kgosi Nyalala Pilane says the Baloyi commission of inquiry into the chieftaincy and financial corruption was not about maladministration.

Pilane was speaking during an interview on Newzroom Afrika’s FrankTalk show with JJ Tabane, where he said “people were misrepresenting the facts” about the report released by the commission in August last year.

“The commission about was the dispute between the traditional leadership and chieftaincy in the Bakgatla community.

“Something that I am disputing is that it (the commission) was not about maladministration. There was nothing about maladministration,” Pilane told Tabane.

The leader of Bakgatla ba Kgafela said the commission itself did not find any evidence of mishandling of funds.

“The commission on its own has not found any maladministration except that they were not satisfied with the report.

“They said they suspected maladministration and that’s the reason why a forensic investigation was launched,” he said.

The Baloyi commission, chaired by senior counsel Sesi Baloyi, was set up to examine a number of transactions undertaken between Chief Nyalala Pilane and Anglo Platinum and Pallinghurst Resources on behalf of the people living in 32 poor villages.

The commission found that the Bakgatla community did not benefit from black economic empowerment deals, or agreements entered into in the community’s name by Pilane and certain members of the Bakgatla ba Kgafela traditional council.

It was alleged in the report that the Bakgatla ba Kgafela resources and wealth were used to enrich offshore companies and a few selected local individuals, including the chief.

When the report was released, it recommended that North West Premier Job Mokgoro appoint an administrator to take control of the administrative matters of Bakgatla-Ba-Kgafela from the tribal council.

Pilane claimed that Mokgoro did not consult with the Bakgatla royal family before the report was released.

“The premier has never presented the report to us (Bakgatla). He decided to present the report to the media and not invite us

“We were never invited. He failed to fulfil his promise of visiting all 32 villages of Bakgatla to present the report,” Pilane said.

He confirmed that the Bakgatla family had taken the report to review in court.

(Background reporting by Gcina Ntsaluba, compiled by Molefe Seeletsa)

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