He likens Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to former President Mokgweetsi Masisi stating that they are amongst those giving Africa a bad name. According to Platform for African Democrats (PAD), several delegates were refused visas for technical reasons, including those from Uganda. Twelve delegates who either had visas or were eligible for visas on arrival- were held at the airport and deported before being allowed to enter, including guests from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Sudan. Khama had to return to Botswana without attending the PAD – a gathering of African leaders committed to democracy and accountability. He alongside former prime minister of Lesotho, Moeketsi Majoro, former president of Colombia, Andres Pastrana Arango and First Vice President of Zanzibar Othman Shariff and 24 others were detained at the airport for as long as nine hours with no explanation. Their passports were returned and they were released when it was too late for them to make the scheduled flight to Bengula. Khama said trouble started when they realised there were no protocol officers to welcome them and then made to wait for hours without any explanation.
Khama said he had reached out to the Angolan Foreign minister whom he had kept his number after he came to invite him to Luanda to meet with Masisi whilst he was still in exile in South Africa. “I sent him a message that we were detained without an explanation. There was no immediate response and I found blue ticks after 45 minutes. It still took some time and we were moved to a lounge in the airport where they told me they would deport me. But I pleaded that I would deport myself the following morning. "And I feel quite strongly about that issue, how I was treated. Protocol has been violated blatantly. Human rights have been violated and I do not know to what extent the conference was able to take place and be a success,” he said. Khama said he was then taken to a hotel provided by the government but those who accompanied him had to share a room because no accommodation was provided for them. He said he would head home the following morning.
Khama said he was shocked at the treatment by the Angolan President whom he said had treated him well before. “Lourenço was the chairman of SADC the last time he invited me to meet Masisi in Luanda trying to bring reconciliation. And now he is the president of the African Union and he detains me. That contrast, inviting me as Chairman of SADC, paying for my flights, and treating me very well and then being detained,” he said. Khama said the fact that other people were deported, made him not think twice about returning home. Khama said the fact that even when the embassies tried to engage, it was evident that what was happening was an instruction from authorities. “Up to now no official reasons given what happened. No apologies whatsoever. We just met with junior people who apologised and then got into their vehicle. I thought they would apologise for the violation of the protocol. I was hoping they would be genuine and apologise, that they really feel sorry. But this was such a deliberate action. For me I would rather they didn't apologise if they are not sincere or genuine about it. It is best you say, we achieved what we wanted to do for which we don't apologise. I am not expecting an apology because like I said how they treated us, I do not think it would be sincere,” he said.
Khama would not spare Masisi as he likened what happened to him to what Masisi’s administration and the DIS have been doing stating that there have been a lot of human rights violations under their watch. “For the last five or more years under Masisi, it made it more compelling for one to say it should not happen and it is worse in other countries. What I experienced in Angola motivates us more to try and be a voice with other voices to address issues. Unfortunately, others are addicted to power and are power hungry. And what happened in Angola and under Masisi should not give us such a bad name. A very bad name. Remember this man is AU chairperson. What is he communicating by detaining Africans? Will they be taken to task for soiling African name?” Khama said as he concluded. Minister for International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale, said they were aware of Khama’s ordeal and that they would be engaging with their counterparts in Angola to look into the matter and resolve it amicably.
