Bakholokoe King warns SA government over Free State land, demands rightful share

King Letsitsa Moloi III of the Bakholokoe Monarchy with Prince Siboniso Moloi. Picture: Kailene Pillay/IOL

King Letsitsa Moloi III of the Bakholokoe Monarchy with Prince Siboniso Moloi. Picture: Kailene Pillay/IOL

Published Apr 17, 2023

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The Bakholokoe Monarchy headed by King Letsitsa Moloi III have again laid claim to land in the Free State and other parts of South Africa, this time issuing a warning that they are ready to “take back” what’s theirs.

The Sotho monarch have for long claimed that the Bakholokoe are the rightful owners of the 550 000ha of land that cuts across the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Midvaal, including Vereeniging, Kuruman and Standerton.

According to Moloi, Bakholokoe elders bought the land with 9 450 cows from England in 1907 after their battle.

But, their sovereign lands were illegally taken from them by the South African government.

Last Year, Moloi wrote a letter to the Presidency and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) notifying them on declaring the Bakholokoe as a sovereignity.

In a press briefing held at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton last week, the Bakholokoe monarchy claimed that the ANC was founded by them in 1910, and that all political parties in South Africa were still working for the British Crown keeping South Africa colonised.

“It was the kings and queens of South Africa which helped with great loss of life to get the ANC into power.

“Let it be known that all of the politicians and political parties are a fraud. They all know that there is a treaty between the South African Corporation and the Crown that governs all things concerning South Africa especially matter concerning the land,” they said.

The Bakholokoe Monarchy said they were planning to meet with the ANC traditional leaders council to discuss the future of the Free State but also to inform them that “as from today we don’t want to hear anything about them, they must stop calling themselves chiefs in our territory”.

King Moloi III said that they intend to approach Sanral to pay rental into their Royal Trust, as the roads are built on their land.

The King said apart from Sanral, they will also request the same from cellular networks who’ve built network towers in the area, mining companies conducting business on the land and other businesses in the areas in question. He said these rental fees should be paid into the Royal Trust which will then be used to take care of the kingdom.

“The responsibility to empower and govern our people will be taken back.

“We are the founders of the ANC and the kingdoms are the upper house while the ANC is the lower house.

“We are taking back what rightfully belongs to us. The land belongs to the royals and the people, not the government,” King Moloi III said.

kailene.pillay@inl.co.za

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