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President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana has strongly criticized King Mswati for allegedly sheltering and assisting former President Lieutenant General Ian Khama, who is wanted in Botswana on charges of possessing illegal firearms.
Sparks are flying in Gaborone. Botswana’s former president Ian Khama says he will sue his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, and is calling on him to resign, accusing him of orchestrating a dirty-tricks campaign to discredit him ahead of the 2019 poll, which dragged in Bridgette Motsepe, sister-in-law to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The idea was to get us into prison [and] embarrass us,” Khama said in an interview on Tuesday. “It became apparent very soon that [the claim] wasn’t true, at least the majority of people did not believe it.”
In a recent report, President Masisi was quoted urging King Mswati to refrain from interference, asserting Botswana’s commitment to never becoming an absolute monarchy.
President Masisi accused King Mswati of colluding with Ian Khama, the former Head of the Botswana Defense Force, in efforts to destabilize the Botswana government and transform the country into an absolute monarchy akin to eSwatini.
Expressing his concerns during a gathering of foreign Heads of Missions in Botswana, President Masisi also pointed fingers at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for allegedly harboring Ian Khama, who is said to have sought refuge in South Africa and eSwatini.
Addressing the attendees, President Masisi emphasized Botswana’s commitment to democracy, firmly stating, “We are not the same. We will never be the same, and that is why we do not tolerate tendencies of absolute monarchy.”
Ian Khama’s presence at eSwatini’s recent Army Day event as a guest of King Mswati further fueled speculation about his whereabouts. Reports suggest Khama relocated to eSwatini following legal disputes in South Africa over potential extradition to Botswana.
