Former Botswana president’s popularity is ‘exaggerated’: Botswana government

The Botswana government has hit back at former president Ian Khama, who has accused his successor Mokgweetsi Masisi of human rights abuses in a dossier released two weeks ago.

Addressing the media in Gaborone on Wednesday, permanent secretary of the Botswana Government Communication and Information System John-Thomas Dipowe insisted there had been minimal impact on the ground in Botswana after Khama released a dossier titled Chronicles of Persecution 2018-2023.

Khama, now residing in South Africa and facing charges of possession of illegal firearms, has   accused the current government of undermining the rule of law and persecuting him.

The dossier, which contained serious allegations against his successor President Masisi and Botswana head of intelligence Peter Magosi, was submitted to the EEU, Southern African Development Council (Sadc), Commonwealth and foreign embassies in Botswana two weeks ago.

Dipowe told a contingent of international media that Khama’s recent actions will not “tear the country apart” since he is not that popular in Botswana.

“The popularity of the former president is exaggerated. So he’s not that popular to the extent that he can influence his tribe to tear the country apart. We don’t see Botswana going that route [being engulfed by widespread turmoil],” Dipowe said.

Dipowe said Khama still enjoyed his presidential retirement benefits as the former head of state with the Botswana government still funding his international trips, which he, however, uses to attack the same government.

He accused Khama of being an “attention seeker” who used the dossier as a campaign tool for one of the opposition parties ahead of next year’s national polls.

“The former president is a patron of one of the opposition parties in Botswana. I think what he has just mentioned [in the dossier] is meant to raise the profile of that party, he is campaigning,” Dipowe said.

Khama is now a member and patron of the Botswana Patriotic Front, a splinter from the ruling Botswana Democratic Party.

Though acknowledging that it was the first time that a former and current president are embroiled in such a conflict that has played out publicly, Dipowe refused to speculate on what led to the fallout.

Dipowe said “this was unprecedented” and that people of Botswana would like to see the conflict resolved.

He, however, rebutted allegations contained in Khama’s dossier saying they were “devoid of truth” and were aimed at deceiving the public and raising unnecessary alarms against the current government led by Masisi.

Earlier this year, Khama, who was president for 10 years until stepping down in 2018, wrote to the UN special rapporteur requesting a probe into what he described as ongoing threats to his life.

In April 2022, Khama was charged in Botswana with 13 counts relating to alleged unlawful possession of seven firearms and ownership of unregistered firearms. He has since moved to South Africa and turned to the courts to try to prevent his extradition.

According to Business Day, Khama in April, in conversation with Trevor Ncube, vowed to unseat Masisi when the country heads to the polls in 2024.

“I have apologised to the nation for bringing this upon them, and I have said that I will do my utmost to get him out of office in the next election,” Khama said.