It has however, come to the fore that accommodating former president Ian Khama, who is considered a fugitive from the courts has caused tensions between the two neighbouring nations.
Having been silent on what Khama's situation means to the relationship between the two countries, President Mokgweetsi Masisi this week came out with guns blazing to express his frustrations at South Africa and Eswatini for "aiding and abetting" Khama. The tussle between Khama and Masisi has dominated the latter's tenure in office, with South Africa and its President Cyril Ramaphosa specifically, caught between the two supremos. In 2021, Khama went into exile in South Africa shortly before 16 criminal charges were instigated against him relating to illegal possession of "weapons of war."
He was joined by his family after they claimed that the Masisi regime was on a legal headhunt amidst dark allegations of attempted assassinations. The 'escape' to South Africa by the Khama family has been read with the family’s close ties with Ramaphosa’s sister-in-law, Bridgette Motsepe-Radebe. Khama is perceived to find South Africa a safe haven where he feels protected, thanks to the power he can wield around closest to Ramaphosa. Khama’s stay in South Africa, while essentially being a fugitive from Botswana’s courts, has raised tensions and apparently walked an elephant into the room of whatever warmer relations Masisi may have hoped for with Ramaphosa. Speaking to Heads of Missions abroad this week convened in Botswana to confer on the opportunities that are available in each country, Masisi expressed his disappointment at the two countries.
“My predecessor was very vociferous and he continues to be. Particularly, at his new home or new homes; one in the republic of South Africa, a country we have diplomatic relations with. A country we helped, even the critical people who are in his leadership, we helped them. They are aiding and abetting a voice that undermines the value prepositions of this republic,” he said. On Eswatini, where Khama frequently visits, with speculation that he could be planning to relocate to permanently, Masisi said Khama loves it for being an absolute monarchy.
“His other home is at the absolute kingdom, the absolute monarch, monarchy of Eswatini. And it is not a surprise because you know as they say with magnetism, like attract and in his desires of Botswana and in the way that he has conducted his affairs in Botswana, when we look back now, he deeply yearns for an absolute monarchy for here. “And that is why there is such attraction to Eswatini, the only absolute monarchy fundamentally different from our republic. I say this because I told the King that we are not the same. We will never be the same and that is why we do not tolerate tendencies of absolute monarchy,” he said.
Masisi said this might explain why some such as his former boss, who he worked very hard to defend and keep in office and still will defend as an ordinary citizen, this time made it clear that Botswana does not subscribe to those values. He added he would not want to go too deep because there are a lot of things that he would not divulge during the meeting, but out in the place where they express themselves more freely as we go towards the general election to explain to Batswana. “I was negotiating on behalf of Batswana, on the side of Batswana and it is clear that my predecessor was negotiating on the side of De Beers.
I will ventilate that with evidence. “And you need to know it, because he was not in support of the 10% allocation and it cost somebody a job, a very critical functionary and it twisted the way we governed. I will leave it at that, but I will explain it very thoroughly,” he said. He urged the diplomats to stay tuned and follow what he would say through the internet.
“You will understand that I negotiated on the side of Botswana for the interest of Batswana and I erased that offensive clause. And for the first time in our history, we will be able to play hard and high with greater potential for returns. That is why I am convinced that there is no reason why in 12 years we cannot attain our ambitions of becoming a high income economy if we apply principles to all our natural resources and participate in the value chains as citizens paying tax and causing others to invest here,” he said.
