How ex-President Khama fell out together with his protégé in Africa’s diamond state

Ian Khama’s well-mannered voice barely disguises the anger that he feels.

In a number of interviews that Botswana’s former president has given since 2019, when he started to precise dissatisfaction together with his hand-picked successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, he has talked about him in damning phrases.

Masisi was “drunk on power”, Khama advised the BBC’s Concentrate on Africa programme 5 years in the past.

Since then the 71-year-old has gone into exile, spoken a few plot to poison him and been charged in Botswana with a number of crimes together with cash laundering and proudly owning unlawful firearms.

Having beforehand dismissed the fees as being “fabricated”, final month he returned residence and appeared in court docket for an preliminary listening to.

The strain between Khama and Masisi is more likely to color the diamond-rich nation’s imminent common election – simply three weeks away – as the previous president is actively campaigning for an opposition celebration.

At an extra, temporary, court docket look on Tuesday, Khama was all smiles.

The authorities are actually believed to be contemplating if the case ought to proceed.

There’s a sturdy risk that issues will come to a halt as Khama’s co-accused are now not dealing with the fees. However the court docket won’t reconvene till a month after the election.

To the outsider, who might need the final feeling that Botswana is among the continent’s most secure democracies with sturdy establishments, this dispute between the present and former presidents could appear shocking.

The Botswana Democratic Occasion (BDP) has ruled since independence from the UK in 1966.

In a constituency-based system, it has dominated parliament for the final 5 a long time although its share of the vote in current elections has hovered round 50%.

The nation’s first president, and Khama’s father, Sir Seretse Khama, was descended from royalty and helped cement Botswana’s fame for orderly authorities within the 14 years he was in energy as much as his dying in 1980.

His 1948 marriage to a white British lady, Ruth Williams, was controversial and led to his exile within the UK.

Ian Khama, the couple’s second baby, likened his personal current time in South Africa to that of his father’s interval away from Botswana.

After having been within the navy, he went on to turn into president in 2008, serving for 10 years.

Regardless of the dynastic attraction, the shine got here off Khama’s authorities and within the 2014 election the BDP received lower than 50% of the vote for the primary time.

Issues about corruption, human rights and the state of the financial system – with excessive ranges of unemployment – all dented Khama’s recognition.

Within the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, funded by Sudanese telecoms mogul Mo Ibrahim, Botswana’s rating dropped throughout his interval in energy.

The nation’s enormous diamond reserves have proved profitable and seen the financial system develop, however not sufficient jobs have been being created for the younger inhabitants and the wealth was not being unfold round.

In 2018, Khama handed over the reins of energy to his loyal vice-president, Masisi, maybe hoping that he may nonetheless have some affect, however issues quickly went awry.

One idea is that there was a gentleman’s settlement that Masisi would appoint Khama’s brother, Tshekedi, as vice-president, which he refused to do.

Khama started complaining that his safety element was being lower and that democracy throughout the BDP was being undermined.

Masisi additionally reversed some key insurance policies comparable to a ban on trophy searching and ended the scepticism in direction of having nearer relations with China.

A yr after stepping down as president, Khama then joined the newly fashioned opposition Botswana Patriotic Entrance (BPF) telling the BBC on the time that the “democracy that we’ve been proud of in this country is now in decline”.

He then went into self-imposed exile in late 2021 alleging that there have been threats to his life.

Masisi has batted away the criticism and earlier this yr described the poisoning allegation as “shocking”.

“If you look at the history of either killings or murders in Botswana and the methods used, poisoning is not one of the ones we know best, but of late he [Khama] seems to be an expert,” Masisi advised France 24, including that the previous president had nothing to concern.

Masisi additionally mentioned that the arguments Khama has been utilizing in opposition to the federal government and his management have been “a litany of inconsistencies”.

There’s completely no likelihood of reconciliation between the previous allies, and Khama is hoping to finish the 58 years in energy of the BDP – the celebration his father helped discovered.

There are alternatives to take votes from the federal government as the issues with the dearth of jobs and the accusations of corruption have additionally dogged the present administration.

Moreover, the previous president nonetheless instructions a whole lot of respect within the nation, particularly among the many older voters and in his residence space round Serowe, the place he’s paramount chief and the place the BPF launched its manifesto on the weekend.

However Masisi and the BDP stay in a robust place, particularly because the opposition is split.

The 30 October ballot presents a chance for the Khama dynasty to as soon as once more have an effect on the way forward for the nation.