Khama's uncles accuse Masisi of dishonour
Innocent Selatlhwa | Tuesday February 22, 2022 06:00
Khama’s uncles, through Kgosi Mokhutshwane Sekgoma, have written a scathing press release accusing Masisi of doing the opposite of what he had promised BagaMmangwato when he visited Serowe in November 2021.
The uncles state that while Masisi promised to give proper attention to the grievance put to him over his differences with Khama, he is now dishonouring the promise.
“He has decided to abdicate his responsibility to answer questions that only he can answer, by relegating this responsibility to the newly appointed Minister of Local Government (and Rural Development), Kgotla Autlwetse, putting the condition that Autlwetse must hear what we want to table before the President himself,” Sekgoma wrote.
Just like they stated during a kgotla meeting they held after meeting Autlwetse, BagaMmangwato are not happy with the latter’s involvement in the matter. “Our position as Khama’s uncles is that Autlwetse is a conflicted emissary with a vested political interest in the stand-off between his boss Masisi and his Paramount Chief Khama. As the President has chosen to involve Autlwetse in the matter we hope that his role (Autlwetse) will be to facilitate for us to reach the President and nothing more,” they stated.
They said that they have since written to Masisi emphasising the importance of meeting him in person. They add that they reached out to Masisi emphasising the urgent attention the matter deserves, not only because he made the invitation in the first place, but also because they have been mandated by BagaMmangwato to do so given the irreparable harm that delaying the resolution of the dispute is causing to Botswana.
“Most critically, the former president is now homeless as a result of the illegal actions of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) who have barricaded his official residence in Gaborone. This cannot be acceptable and directly contradicts President Masisi's assertion in Serowe that in Botswana everyone is protected by the rule of law.”
At their last meeting with morafe, various speakers called on Khama to stay put in South Africa while they try to map a way forward. They stated that they could not bring him to meet Masisi as they do not know what would happen to him should he attend the meeting.