2019: The Year Two Elephants Fought
Monday, December 16, 2019
Masisi, Khama feud
Botswana’s peace and tranquility was pierced when former president, Ian Khama and successor Mokgweetsi Masisi, turned foes. The feud spilled over from 2018, and there is no sign of it slowing down, as the raging fight heads to 2020. The genesis of the fight is still a subject of debate, but appears to hinge on ‘broken power promises’. The fallout resulted in Khama being instrumental in the formation of the breakaway Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), and becomes the first former president to be a member of the opposition.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...