Family members of renowned South African scholar, medical doctor and liberation activist, Dr Silas Modiri Molema, affectionately called Ngaka, have expressed concerns that the municipality in the North West bearing his name no longer reflects the values and principles he stood for.
The family briefed the media and reiterated their call for his name to be removed from the Mahikeng-based Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality.
They argue that ongoing governance and service delivery challenges in the municipality have tarnished the legacy of a man remembered for his dedication to public service, education, and the upliftment of communities.
“We want the name of Ngaka Modiri Molema to be withdrawn, reason for it being is the fact that our name is just being run through the mud. You sit in a taxi, and you hear the words like Ngaka Modiri Molema its nonsense, it hurt, it’s our name. We got pride and it’s our legacy. He has done so much for the country, he has done so much for the current government that we are in. He is one of the founders of the current government but the way we have been treated little things like other families who got stalwarts they are getting commemorated,” his grandson Thato Molema explains.
Spokesperson for the North West Provincial Government, Brian Setswambung says there are ongoing negotiations between the two parties.
“The North West Provincial government is aware of the issues raised by the Molema family in the preservation and legacy of the struggle icon, Ngaka Modiri Molema. There is ongoing engagement between the government and the Molema family to find a lasting solution into this engagement,” says Setswambung.
Video: Molema Royal House withdraws municipal name consent
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