Mwanawasa was a good man - Khama

In their condolence messages, both Khama and Merafhe have described Mwanawasa in glowing terms, saying the late Zambian leader was a principled man even in the muddled waters of politics and was unwavering when he took a principled stand on issues, which made him a model head of state.

"He was a very nice man, as a person," said Merafhe, who was Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs for much of Mwanawasa's presidency. "There are very few principled Presidents, and Mwanawasa was one of (them).