The fading Khama magic
Innocent Selatlhwa | Wednesday October 5, 2022 10:00
After he was reportedly fooled into believing that he could still ‘rule’ the country and have whatever he wanted through his predecessor Mokgweetsi Masisi, Khama has now lost control of his baby, Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF).
The BPF’s current central committee is not fazed by Khama and seems set to take him and his puppets on without fear.
The team supporting Guma Moyo for the presidency of the BPF currently enjoys control of the party and Khama is not amused.
Though he wants Moiseraela Goya to be president, Khama thought bringing back founding president Biggie Butale could immediately give him control of the party.
Butale, with Khama’s backing last week, announced his return and that he would be making some changes to how things have been run in his absence. He had been on suspension since a year ago and was only reinstated as an ordinary member.
After quoting from his and Khama’s lawyers, Ramalepa Attorneys that lifting of his suspension meant he was back as president, Butale said he was now in charge to deal with the party’s crisis.
It was clear that Khama was behind the press conference as his loyalists including Iphemele Kgokgothwane and Forster Seretse were amongst those in attendance. Butale also had good things to say about Khama stating that their fallout was fabricated. As if that were not a link enough, Khama’s Facebook page streamed the press conference live.
He said all planned BPF central committee meetings and any events would be cancelled; all those representing the BPF at cooperation talks with other opposition parties have their mandate rescinded.
He also said he would meet all legislators and councillors. He further said he would call a central committee meeting for purposes of trying to take out the party from the crisis it is in. Just a day after the press briefing, the current BPF central committee through Publicity Secretary, Lawrence Ookeditse issued a press release dismissing Butale stating that "he was just bored". "The BPF NEC informs party members and stakeholders that Butale remains suspended from the party presidency until further notice.
His numerous matters remain before the Disciplinary Committee of the party. Until the Disciplinary Committee makes a ruling to the contrary, his suspension from party presidency remains in force.
A subject of administrative action cannot claim to ignore it and or to reinstate himself. Thus, the said Butale does not have authority to determine anything in the BPF at the moment," reads a statement by Ookeditse.
Ookeditse further continued to state that BPF meetings, activities and gatherings continue as planned. He stated that only the National Executive Committee and the courts could vary decisions of the NEC outside congress.
Butale was also cautioned against "masquerading as an active BPF president until the Disciplinary Committee makes its determination. We acknowledge life may be boring, but to soil our brand for sport shall not be tolerated". According to literature, Khama has always had it his way from a young age, rising quickly through the ranks at Botswana Defence Force.
He also rose quickly politically to end up at the helm of the country as President. Nobody would have ever thought he could leave his father’s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), which he did.
Now he could be on the verge of control of his own BPF. Masisi and the rest of BDP legislators spent sleepless nights trying to accommodate the exquisite lifestyle of Khama as he prepared for retirement.
It did not take long after he passed the baton to Masisi that their relationship broke down. Khama complained that he was denied what he was promised by Masisi including extra staff members and availing of resources for travel.
The fallout eventually saw Khama walk out of the BDP and join the BPF as its founding patron. Khama proved that by then, in 2019 he still commanded support in the Central District especially.
His BPF won all three MP seats in Serowe constituencies and many councillors around the district. As if that were not enough, Khama was credited for assisting some Umbrella for Democratic Change legislators to defeat the BDP at its strongholds. It would seem with Khama currently residing in South Africa (SA), he has little power to have things go his way.
The former president is currently in a self-imposed exile in SA. Khama was charged with 14 offences becoming the first former president in Botswana to be charged with criminal offences.
These include amongst others, unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, procuring the registration of a firearm by false pretence, aiding and abetting unlawful possession of a firearm, and ownership of a firearm not registered in accordance with the Arms and Ammunition Act of 2018.