The use of OK1 to transport a foreign head of government suddenly attracted attention, with questions emerging about whether the deployment of the aircraft is quite in order at a time when government spending remains under intense public scrutiny within the context of waning state resources. Despite such concerns, President Boko dismissed suggestions that the arrangement was unusual, labelling it a non-issue, and arguing that Botswana merely extended assistance to a neighbouring country facing temporary travel constraints. “It is normal. This is what brotherhood and good neighbourliness look like. The Prime Minister had logistical challenges, and we assisted,” Boko said when asked about the matter.
Leader of Opposition Dumelang Saleshando is of the view that the use of the presidential jet to go and pick the prime minister was a clear abuse of state resources, especially at a time when the country was undergoing fiscal strain. Saleshando, in an interview with Mmegi, shared that the use of the state aircraft to transport other heads of state was not a normal occurrence as the president posited. “That he had logistics challenges does not provide an excuse to use the presidential aircraft. In fact, it amounts to abuse in any way,” he said While the President’s explanation reflects a long-standing tradition of regional cooperation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC), where neighbouring states frequently collaborate on matters ranging from security and diplomacy to transport and logistics, it has drawn criticism due to Botswana’s complicated history of presidential travel and the somewhat private use of state aircraft. For years, presidential travel has been among the most politically sensitive expenditure items in government. Questions over the cost of foreign trips, chartered flights and the maintenance of presidential aircraft have repeatedly surfaced in Parliament, public audits and political campaigns.
