This new, perhaps even strange travel arrangement seems to confirm that Vice President Ian Khama does not only have free reign over Botswana Defence Force (BDF) choppers, but he also has unlimited access to presidential amenities and privilege including the use of the presidential jet.
This week, President Festus Mogae and his delegation boarded a chartered plane on an official visit to Seychelles while Khama flew by OK1 to Cuba.
But press secretary at the Office of the President, Jeff Ramsay, said in a telephone interview from the Seychelles that 'it was not against protocol for Khama to use the presidential plane whilst the President used a chartered flight'. Ramsay believes that this was a suitable arrangement for the two trips.
Ramsay said the First Lady, Barbara Mogae and government officials accompanied Mogae to Seychelles. Mogae returned home on Tuesday while Khama was expected home on Thursday.
Ramsay insisted that it was 'more practical' and cheaper that Khama should use the presidential plane to Cuba whilst Mogae hired a plane to the Seychelles.
It was more economical to use the OK1 across the Atlantic since it has a bigger capacity, said Ramsay.
He said it was not an inconvenience for the President to board a chartered flight. On the contrary it was 'a convenience', he said.
The flight from Gaborone to Seychelles only takes about five hours while the trip to Cuba takes 20 hours, he pointed out.
Ramsay said OK1 is not the sole preserve of the President. It is also available for other official engagements.
But the use of chartered flights by the President raises the question of security. In the past, President Mogae's luggage was stolen at Oliver Tambo airport in Johannesburg when he was using commercial flights.
Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Phandu Skelemani said he was not aware that President Mogae used a chartered plane to travel to the Seychelles.
He said the protocol division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation makes travel arrangements for the President.
But Skelemani said there was nothing wrong if Khama used the presidential jet to Cuba since the President delegated him.
There are pockets of public opinion which lend a different interpretation to recent events at State House.
Khama is expected to take over the presidency when Mogae retires next year. There is a belief in political circles that Mogae handles Khama with kid gloves.
Since he retired as the BDF commander in 1998, Khama has been involved in controversy about flying army aircrafts even though it was publicly understood that he was a retired soldier.
He has been using BDF choppers to attend Botswana Democratic Party (BDF) functions much to the chagrin of the opposition parties which believe that the vice president is abusing state property.
In one instance, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) took the vice president's use of army planes to the Ombudsman who recommended that Khama should stop piloting BDF aircrafts.
Khama leaned on President Mogae who gave public support to Khama's personal piloting of army aircrafts.
At one stage, Khama claimed that people were jealous because they did not know how to handle an aircraft as he did.
The response from the government has always been that Vice President Khama is entitled to official transport even when he is off duty.
