How Khama, the former president of Africa’s diamond nation, fell out with his protégé

Ian Khama’s polite voice could barely conceal the rage inside him.

When Botswana’s former president began expressing dissatisfaction with his handpicked successor, Mokwezi Masisi, in 2019, he spoke in harsh terms about him in several interviews.

Masisi is “drunk with power”, Khama told BBC Africa Focus five years ago.

The 71-year-old has since gone into exile, recounting a plot to poison him and being charged in Botswana with crimes including money laundering and possession of illegal firearms.

He had previously denied the charges were “fabricated” and returned home last month to appear in court for a preliminary hearing.

Tensions between Khama and Masisi could have consequences for the diamond-rich country’s upcoming general elections, just three weeks away, as the former president is actively campaigning for the opposition.

Khama was all smiles during a further brief court appearance on Tuesday.

Authorities are now believed to be considering whether to proceed with the case.

There’s a good chance things will stop now that Khama’s co-defendants no longer face charges. But the courts will not reopen until a month after the election.

To outsiders, who may generally view Botswana as one of the continent’s most stable democracies with strong institutions, this dispute between the current and former president may seem surprising.

The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has been in power since independence from Britain in 1966.

It has dominated parliament for the past 50 years under a constituency-based system, although its vote share in recent elections has hovered around 50%.

The country’s first president, Khama’s father, Sir Seretse Khama, was a descendant of the royal family and helped cement Botswana’s reputation for orderly government during the 14 years he ruled until his death in 1980.

His 1948 marriage to a white British woman, Ruth Williams, was controversial and led to his exile in England.

The couple’s second child, Ian Khama, compared his recent experience in South Africa to his father’s time away from Botswana.

After completing his military service, he became president in 2008 for a 10-year term.

Despite its dynastic appeal, the luster of Khama’s government faded, and in the 2014 elections the BDP won less than 50% of the vote for the first time.

Concerns about corruption, human rights and an economy with high unemployment have all dented Khama’s popularity.

Botswana’s score on the Ibrahim African Governance Index, funded by Sudanese telecoms tycoon Mo Ibrahim, declined during his time in power.

The country’s vast diamond reserves have proven lucrative and fueled economic growth, but have not created enough jobs for young people and the wealth has not been dispersed.

In 2018, Khama handed power to his loyal vice-president Masisi, perhaps in the hope that he would still have some influence, but things quickly went wrong.

One theory is that there was a gentlemen’s agreement that Masisi would appoint Khama’s brother Tsekedi as deputy president, but he refused to do so.

Khama began complaining that his security forces were being cut and democracy within the BDP was being undermined.

Masisi also reversed some key policies For example, banning trophy hunting and ended skepticism about closer ties with China.

A year after resigning as president, Khama joined the newly formed opposition Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF), telling the BBC at the time that “the democracy that we are proud of is now in decline in this country”.

He subsequently went into self-imposed exile in late 2021, claiming his life was under threat.

Masisi dismissed the criticism and earlier this year described the poisoning allegations as “shocking”.

“If you look at the history of killing or murder in Botswana and the methods used, poisoning is not one of the methods we know best about, but recently it has [Khama] He seems to be an expert.” Masisi told France 24And added that the former president has nothing to worry about.

Masisi also said there was “a litany of inconsistencies” in Khama’s arguments against the government and its leadership.

There is absolutely no chance of reconciliation between the former allies, with Khama hoping to end the 58-year reign of the BDP his father helped create.

There are opportunities to gain votes from the government as a lack of job opportunities and corruption allegations also plague the current government.

Furthermore, the former president remains highly respected at home, especially among older voters and around his hometown of Serowe, where he is a top leader and where the BPF issued a manifesto over the weekend.

But Masisi and the BDP remain in a strong position, especially with the opposition divided.

The October 30 polls provide the Khama dynasty with another chance to influence the country’s future.