APA-Gaborone (Botswana) Botswana’s former president Ian Khama has described his decision to handpick his former deputy Mokgweetsi Masisi as his successor as “a huge mistake”, vowing on Monday to campaign for his removal during next year’s general elections.
Khama has had a tumultuous relationship with President Masisi since 2018 when he handed power to his successor when the new president started reversing some key policies adopted during Khama’s tenure.
Months later Khama dramatically quit the long-ruling Botswana Democratic Party, which had been co-founded by his father Seretse Khama, Botswana’s first president.
He has been staying in self-imposed exile in neighbouring South Africa since November 2021 when he fled Botswana amid allegations that his life was in danger.
Khama said he was preparing to return home to form an opposition coalition to remove Masisi during the 2024 elections.
“I have to fix the mistake I made in appointing Masisi to be my successor… It was a huge mistake, one that we are regretting as a country because he has totally undermined democracy, human rights, the rule of law (and) interfered with the judiciary,” Khama told AFP on Monday.
He drew parallels between Masisi and ex-American president Donald Trump.
“Botswana has been a democracy, right from independence, we had a very good reputation for democracy, we were a shining light on the African continent, we were renowned worldwide for our adherence to democracy and then you get this one man who comes in one day and just overturns everything,” said Khama.
He added: “And this is the Botswana version of Donald Trump in Masisi.”
According to the report, Khama – who is standing for presidency of his party next month – said he had intelligence information on plans to arrest and poison him if he returned home.
“They fear I have still got a lot of influence on the people of Botswana to be able to sway them, not that they need swaying, they pretty much made up their mind now that regime change should take place,” he said.
On December 29 last year Botswana issued an arrest warrant for Khama, alleging unlawful possession of firearms.
JN/APA