AFPIan Khama (right) and his student Mokgweetsi Masisi (left) in their happy days
Ian Karma’s polite voice barely conceals the anger he feels.
Botswana’s former president has spoken harshly of him in several interviews since 2019, when he began expressing dissatisfaction with his hand-picked successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Mr Masisi was “drunk with power”, Mr Khama told the BBC’s Africa Focus program five years ago.
The 71-year-old has since gone into exile, talked about a poisoning plot, and been charged in Botswana with several crimes, including money laundering and illegal firearms possession.
He had previously dismissed the charges as “fabricated” but returned to Japan last month and appeared in court for his first hearing.
Tensions between Khama and Masisi are likely to color the diamond-rich country’s general elections, which are just three weeks away, with the former president actively campaigning for the opposition.
During another brief court appearance on Tuesday, Khama was all smiles.
Authorities are now believed to be considering whether to proceed with the case.
The situation is likely to come to an end now that Khama’s co-accused will no longer be indicted. However, the court is expected to reconvene within a month after the election.
AFP
Ian Khama made his first appearance in a Botswana court on September 13, 2024
To outsiders who have a general sense that Botswana is one of the continent’s most stable democracies with strong institutions, this dispute between the current and former presidents is surprising. It may look like.
Since independence from Britain in 1966, it has been ruled by the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
Although its vote share in recent elections has hovered around 50%, it has dominated Congress for the past 50 years through a constituency-based system.
Lord Seretse Khama, the first president and Mr Khama’s father, was a descendant of royalty and helped cement Botswana’s reputation for orderly government during his 14 years in office until his death in 1980.
His marriage to a white British woman, Ruth Williams, in 1948 was controversial and led to his exile in Britain.
Ian Khama, the couple’s second child, compared his recent time in South Africa to when his father was away in Botswana.
After serving in the military, he became president in 2008 and served as president for 10 years.
Despite the appeal of the dynasty, the luster has faded from Khama’s government, with the BDP receiving less than 50% of the vote in the 2014 election for the first time.
Concerns about corruption, human rights and the economic situation, with high unemployment, have undermined Khama’s popularity.
Botswana’s score on the African Governance Ibrahim Index, funded by Sudanese telecoms tycoon Mo Ibrahim, has declined during his administration.
Although the country’s vast diamond reserves have proven lucrative and led to economic growth, not enough jobs were created for young people and wealth was not widely spread.
Innocent Seratulwa
Former President Ian Khama (left) campaigns for the opposition ahead of the October 30 vote.
In 2018, Mr. Khama handed over the reins of power to his loyal vice president, Mr. Masisi, perhaps hoping that he would still have some influence, but things quickly took a turn for the worse.
One theory is that there was a gentleman’s agreement in which Masisi appointed Khama’s younger brother Tshekedi as vice president, but Masisi refused.
Khama began complaining that his security details were being cut and that democracy within the BDP was being undermined.
Masisi also reversed several key policies, including a ban on trophy hunting, ending skepticism about closer ties with China.
A year after leaving office, Mr Khama joined the newly formed opposition Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), telling the BBC at the time: “The democracy we were so proud of in this country is now in decline.” Ta.
He then voluntarily went into exile at the end of 2021, saying his life was in danger.
Mr Masisi has brushed aside the criticism, calling the poisoning allegations earlier this year “shocking”.
“If you look at the history of murders and killings in Botswana and the methods used, poisoning is not one of the things that we are most familiar with, but these days he (Mr Khama) seems to be an expert.” Masisi told France 24. The former president had nothing to fear.
Mr Masisi also said that Mr Khama’s claims against the government and its leaders were “a series of inconsistencies”.
There is no chance of reconciliation between the former allies, and Khama wants to end the 58-year reign of the BDP, which his father helped found.
The current administration is also plagued by problems such as a lack of employment and corruption allegations, so there is an opportunity to steal votes from the government.
Moreover, the former president still commands a lot of respect in the country, especially among older voters and in his home region of Thamaga, where he is chief executive and where the BPF released its manifesto over the weekend.
However, Masisi and the BDP remain in a strong position, especially as the opposition is divided.
The October 30 polls offer the Khama dynasty another chance to influence the country’s future.
Other BBC articles about Botswana:
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