A new twist in Khama, Masisi feud
Mompati Tlhankane | Monday January 22, 2024 09:06
In an interview with Mmegi yesterday, Khama challenged his successor to a boxing match indicating that he is prepared to meet him anywhere even in the boxing ring, or freedom square. Khama’s remarks follow the comments made by Masisi this week in Moshupa where the President made it clear that he won’t meet Khama anywhere except at the freedom square.
Freedom square politics are usually marred with below the belt antics and shots being fired from the hip.
Masisi further indicated that his inevitable meet with his former boss will only happen at the freedom square where politicians meet. During a press conference after registering to vote, Masisi clarified that he has no reason to meet Khama. “I haven’t met Khama and I don’t know why I would be meeting him because we will meet in the political arena. We can only meet there.
We have agreed that we disagree. Let’s go meet there because it is where politicians convene,” he said.
Masisi also clarified that he won’t hold any mediation talks with Khama because from here on issues will be resolved in the political space. The President maintains that there was never a plan to arrange mediation with Khama. In response to Masisi’s comments, Khama told Mmegi that Masisi suggested a freedom square type venue because the latter thinks he has and can still instigate enough threats against him so as not to be in the country to participate in such. “So let me through you issue a challenge to him for such an encounter between us in a setting where I can publicly bring the evidence to prove his illegitimate actions against me and others (followed by the boxing match). I am prepared to meet him anywhere or wherever I have the opportunity to confront him with evidence about his criminal conduct and irresponsible behaviour.,” Khama emphasised.
Khama said Masisi won’t turn up like in Angola and elsewhere under similar arrangements in the past by other Heads of State. Khama pointed out that Masisi not wanting to reconcile does not bother him at all. “Then he should have saved everyone who has tried in the past, the time, trouble and resources by stating that right from the beginning and also stating his reasons which are that he fears the evidence I have would expose his illegal fabrications, lies and deceptions in front of third parties hosting reconciliation, ”Khama noted.
Khama added that Masisi does not want him back in the country before the elections out of his fear of him (Khama)return before the General Election is held this year. Efforts to reconcile Khama and Masisi had long collapsed domestically but late last yea hope was that Masisi and Khama would meet in person and solve their problems before Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. Even though the two were in Angola at the same time, the former allies failed to meet with Masisi allegedly turning down an arranged mediation with Khama in Angola.
As the General Election nears, Khama, who is the patron of the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), an affiliate on the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will face Masisi, the leader of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP). After Masisi and Khama’s failed meeting, a statement was released by the government where the latter pointed out that Masisi was specifically in Angola to meet and brief President Lourenço on the government of Botswana’s position on the self-imposed exile of Khama and some members of his family. According to the government, President Lourenço informed President Masisi that he had been approached by former Presidents of Nigeria and South Africa on behalf of Khama, to help pave the way to address issues around the latter’s self-imposed exile and to help resolve his differences with Masisi.
In the statement, the government further claimed that Masisi briefed Lourenço about the failed domestic mediation, which involved among others former President Festus Mogae, former Vice President Ponatshego Kedikilwe. On the contrary, the Chief Executive Officer of the SKI Khama Foundation Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo responded to the government statement indicating that the latter had yet again chosen to withhold full disclosure and opted for half-truths about the matter.
“We can confirm that indeed there was an invitation to both President Masisi and former President Khama from the Chairperson of SADC, except that the invitation was for the specific purpose of bringing Khama and Masisi together face-to-face for a possible resolution of their issues which requires the presence of both. Our information is that after arriving in Angola, President Masisi became unavailable for the agreed meeting and instead opted for a private meeting with President Lourenco, and left immediately after that meeting,” Kaboeamodimo stated.
He indicated that Khama had not been favoured with reasons for the sudden somersault on the part of President Masisi. He challenged government to take the nation into its confidence and say why the President could not honour his own undertaking to participate, after travelling expensively at the taxpayer’s cost as he regularly does. Khama yesterday indicated he and Masisi were both invited by the Angolan President there on the same day for a joint meeting. He said Masisi developed cold feet and ran away.