Khama left Botswana in a huff late 2021 following an acrimonious relationship with his successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Then, Khama-who had formed the Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), a splinter party of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) ahead of the 2019 General Election- claimed that his life was in danger. Before he went into exile mostly in South Africa (SA), several criminal charges were levelled against him. The allegations include unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property and procuring the registration of a firearm by false pretence-charges he still maintains are a political witchhunt by the Masisi regime. Khama also claimed that the government was using State security organs such as the DIS to target him following his bitter fallout with Masisi. The government and the DIS have on numerous occasions denied that it was targeting the former president.
Khama returned to Botswana about two weeks ago and appeared before the Regional Magistrate Court, which had issued a warrant for his arrest. His case before the same court has now been postponed indefinitely and his arrest warrant has been set aside. During his time in exile, Khama frequently visited other countries oblivious of the fact that a court in Botswana had issued a warrant of his arrest. In March this year, the late former Minister of Environment and Tourism. Dumezweni Mthimkhulu urged authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) while he was in London to lobby the British Parliament against passing the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. Then, before Khama’s arrest warrant was recently set aside, Mthimkhulu told the UK lawmakers that the ex-head of state was a fugitive from the law in Botswana. When asked by Mmegi in an interview that now he is back in Botswana and has announced that he will continue his political activism, albeit for a short period, before assuming his chieftainship position, was he not afraid that the Masisi regime may continue to persecute him as he has claimed in the past, Khama responded that there is absolutely no doubt in his mind that the regime will continue to persecute him. “Even at this moment since my return, the DIS has been keeping me under surveillance everywhere I go. This is what they did before I left the country in order to plan an event that would cause me harm,” he said. When asked if he was not afraid that Government of Botswana may have issued an Interpol Red Notice for his arrest for being a fugitive from law in relation to his failure in the past to appear before a court in Botswana for various ‘criminal offences’, Khama responded: “No I was not concerned about an Interpol red notice because none existed. As such, no arrest could have been effected under the circumstances you describe.”
When probed about the prospects of the BPF-which has been engulfed by internal problems since last year-Khama said: “The party has grown significantly in recent times and has also attracted a number of members from other parties as you may be aware. Without rigging, the prospects for the BPF and other likeminded parties are excellent and as such the election outcome is absolutely predictable.” Following the 2019 General Election, the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) cried foul saying that the elections were rigged-a claim that the government has said lacked substance because the coalition lost the electoral rigging petitions it had launched with costs before the courts. The former president also said that he missed Batswana dearly during his time in exile. “First and foremost, I missed my interactions with the people of Botswana and the activities I did in various parts of the country. Fortunately, concerning my family, I was with some of them and others visited me regularly so I was always in regular contact with them. “In this regard, the one thing this period of absence brought about was an even stronger bond within the family which was always solid anyway,” said Khama. When responding to Khama’s allegations of possible persecution by the Masisi regime and being kept under surveillance, DIS spokesperson Edward Robert, said: “The former president has been making those allegations since 2018 after leaving the presidency.
The allegations include a plot to kill him, excessive surveillance and many other allegations. However, at the end of the day, those turned out to be a false alarm. That has become an established fact now. You are aware of that. He too knows that. It is important to note that the DIS has a statutory duty to provide close protection to the former president as guided by Section 5 (g). The security agents provided protection to Khama when he was a Vice President of Botswana.” Robert added: “They DIS would provide that requisite support when he was a sitting president and they continue to provide the same to him now as the former president. Nothing has changed. If he didn't have any reason to fear them then, he shouldn't have any reason to do so now. I want to assure Batswana that the DIS prioritises the security of their principals including that of all the former presidents and they must treat with contempt any suggestion to the contrary.”
