How ex-President Khama fell out with his protégé in Africa’s diamond state

Ian Khama’s well-mannered voice barely disguises the anger that he feels.

In a number of interviews that Botswana’s former president has given since 2019, when he started to precise dissatisfaction along with his hand-picked successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, he has talked about him in damning phrases.

Masisi was “drunk on energy”, Khama told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme 5 years in the past.

Since then the 71-year-old has gone into exile, spoken a couple of plot to poison him and been charged in Botswana with a number of crimes together with cash laundering and proudly owning unlawful firearms.

Having beforehand dismissed the costs as being “fabricated”, final month he returned residence and appeared in courtroom for an preliminary listening to.

The strain between Khama and Masisi is more likely to color the diamond-rich nation’s imminent basic election – simply three weeks away – as the previous president is actively campaigning for an opposition celebration.

At an extra, transient, courtroom look on Tuesday, Khama was all smiles.

The authorities at the moment are believed to be contemplating if the case ought to proceed.

There’s a robust risk that issues will come to a halt as Khama’s co-accused are now not going through the costs. However the courtroom is not going to reconvene till a month after the election.

To the outsider, who may need the final feeling that Botswana is likely one of the continent’s most secure democracies with robust establishments, this dispute between the present and former presidents could appear shocking.

The Botswana Democratic Celebration (BDP) has ruled since independence from the UK in 1966.

In a constituency-based system, it has dominated parliament for the final 5 a long time although its share of the vote in latest elections has hovered round 50%.

The nation’s first president, and Khama’s father, Sir Seretse Khama, was descended from royalty and helped cement Botswana’s popularity for orderly authorities within the 14 years he was in energy as much as his dying in 1980.

His 1948 marriage to a white British girl, Ruth Williams, was controversial and led to his exile within the UK.

Ian Khama, the couple’s second baby, likened his personal latest time in South Africa to that of his father’s interval away from Botswana.

After having been within the army, he went on to change into president in 2008, serving for 10 years.

Regardless of the dynastic attraction, the shine got here off Khama’s authorities and within the 2014 election the BDP received lower than 50% of the vote for the primary time.

Considerations about corruption, human rights and the state of the economic system – with excessive ranges of unemployment – all dented Khama’s recognition.

Within the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, funded by Sudanese telecoms mogul Mo Ibrahim, Botswana’s rating dropped throughout his interval in energy.

The nation’s enormous diamond reserves have proved profitable and seen the economic system develop, however not sufficient jobs have been being created for the younger inhabitants and the wealth was not being unfold round.

In 2018, Khama handed over the reins of energy to his loyal vice-president, Masisi, maybe hoping that he may nonetheless have some affect, however issues quickly went awry.

One idea is that there was a gentleman’s settlement that Masisi would appoint Khama’s brother, Tshekedi, as vice-president, which he refused to do.

Khama started complaining that his safety element was being lower and that democracy inside the BDP was being undermined.

Masisi additionally reversed some key insurance policies such as a ban on trophy hunting and ended the scepticism in the direction of having nearer relations with China.

A 12 months after stepping down as president, Khama then joined the newly fashioned opposition Botswana Patriotic Entrance (BPF) telling the BBC on the time that the “democracy that we’ve been happy with on this nation is now in decline”.

He then went into self-imposed exile in late 2021 alleging that there have been threats to his life.

Masisi has batted away the criticism and earlier this 12 months described the poisoning allegation as “surprising”.

“In the event you have a look at the historical past of both killings or murders in Botswana and the strategies used, poisoning just isn’t one of many ones we all know greatest, however of late he [Khama] appears to be an skilled,” Masisi told France 24, including that the previous president had nothing to concern.

Masisi additionally mentioned that the arguments Khama has been utilizing towards the federal government and his management have been “a litany of inconsistencies”.

There may be completely no likelihood of reconciliation between the previous allies, and Khama is hoping to finish the 58 years in energy of the BDP – the celebration his father helped discovered.

There are alternatives to take votes from the federal government as the issues with the shortage of jobs and the accusations of corruption have additionally dogged the present administration.

Moreover, the previous president nonetheless instructions a whole lot of respect within the nation, particularly among the many older voters and in his residence space round Serowe, the place he’s paramount chief and the place the BPF launched its manifesto on the weekend.

However Masisi and the BDP stay in a robust place, particularly because the opposition is split.

The 30 October ballot provides a possibility for the Khama dynasty to as soon as once more have an effect on the way forward for the nation.