Living in fear of Khama�s men
Sharon Mathala | Friday September 5, 2014 15:32
The compound which recently attracted widespread publicity is a “no go area” for the residents. Investigations by Mmegi have revealed chilling allegations of intimidation and threats by members of the Botswana Defence Force and presidential guards.
Following allegations of intimidation against residents suspected to have guided visitors to the secretive compound; Mmegi team travelled to the village and found a community living in absolute fear and apprehension. Despite not being a national monument, the president’s compound is under the protection of members of the BDF.
The small sleepy village has since adopted the Sicilian code of Ormeta or ‘code of silence’ with regards to the Khama compound. A mention of ‘Khama’s house’ is met with fearful stares, as no one dares talk about it. Although it is situated 15km from the village centre on the edge of the Pans, many residents have never been to the compound or near it ever since Khama settled at the place in 2007. The few people who have been to the area are scared to talk about it. Mmegi sources that had agreed to be interviewed suddenly changed their minds after several phone conversations, citing they feared for their lives. They also suggested that security agents were eavesdropping on the telephone conversations.
After being dumped by an unexpectedly frightened source, Mmegi team met one supposedly brave man who agreed to take them to the compound. But on approaching the compound, the man suddenly chickened out by the gate and requested to be dropped off at a nearby bush. He spoke of how the soldiers have warned people in the village to never even think of passing by the compound. “Mathaka a le a clapa,” said the trembling man, who begged that his identity not be revealed for fear of reprisals by the presidential guards.
“One time our cattle strayed there and I had to be brave and go after them knowing that I could be punished for trespassing. But I only got away with a warning to never let cattle stray that side as we are not allowed to go there,” he said.
Mmegi is in possession of details of a young man who was suspected by presidential guards of directing a certain media organisation to the compound. The young man was allegedly rebuked and assaulted by some of the presidential guards. Several attempts to speak to the man have been unsuccessful. The man said he fears for his life. His family also doesn’t want to discuss the issue because the presidential guards have also threatened them.
Mmegi also learnt that other dwellers at a nearby settlement of Nokana ya Bokalaka, a few kilometres south east of the compound have hinted at threats of displacement to a further settlement of Nthane because they are, “too close to Morena’s compound”. Mmegi’s informant said, “Those people live in fear of being relocated because they know they cannot resist when the order comes.”
Mosu deputy chief Phillip Kopano, however, said he was not aware of looming displacements. “All I know is that currently all the plot allocations in the Makgadikgadi area have been suspended pending the completion of Sua Pan South Management Plan,” he said.
The Mosu ward councillor Mabona Makuane, who surprisingly won the ward in 2009 under the Botswana National Front (BNF) ticket in 2009, also proves to be a scared mortal when the topic of Khama’s compound is raised. He is caught in a dilemma because he wants to convince residents of Mosu, who he admits worship and fear Khama, to turn against him.
He said he has only been to the place in 2012 and has never dared to return there. The question is why?
Makuane’s answer is simple. “I am scared. In these politically dangerous times, I would be silly to even dare get in that bush between Khama’s compound and the village,” an uncomfortable and fidgety Makuane said without elaborating further.
Despite being the area councillor, he has only heard of airstrip developments from reading local newspapers but he has never seen it. “All we see are BDF trucks fetching water from the nearby abandoned borehole, we do not know what they are doing at the compound. But we suspect they are constructing the airstrip,” said Makuane, who is now contesting the election under the Umbrella for Democratic Change ticket.
The councillor has been forced by fear to adopt unorthodox ways of campaigning. He does not have street pole banners like Botswana Democratic Party councillors in the area. He showed the Mmegi team a small A5 size flyer, saying he has devised a plan to conduct house-to-house campaigns.
He does not talk about the airstrip or Khama when campaigning because he does not want to appear as if he is against the President. Unlike opposition politicians across Botswana, Khama’s Mosu airstrip, which is evidently being constructed without any consultation, cannot be used to bash the ruling party president, Makuane noted.