When former President Lt Gen Ian Khama issued the first alert that the President Masisi administration wanted to eliminate him, most Batswana brushed off the allegations with a “Yeah, yeah, heard that one already, sing me a song I haven’t heard so many times before.”
That half of Batswana can’t trust a former president to tell the truth even about his safety is understandable. Botswana politicians claiming fear for their lives have become like the boy who cried wolf too often. Now Botswana has stopped listening.
From President Masisi to Khama right down to UDC leader Duma Boko all have in the past issued assassination alerts.
The sad truth is that Botswana conducts the bulk of its political debate in a key of near-hysteria. And this renders complaints of discrepant urgency, about politicians of different recklessness, into one big, ignorable mush of partisan rancor.
Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services Public Relations Director, Edward Robert, has in the past dismissed Khama’s allegations as false. In December 2020, Robert told Sunday Standard that Khama had been making these allegations in the media “throughout the year” and that the Directorate found that “highly regrettable.” While the length of time that has elapsed with nothing happening to Khama seems to be evidence that there is no plot to assassinate him, that didn’t stop the United Nations’ former special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Agnes Callamard from being taken in. Instead,shebelieves the Masisi administration’s dismissive attitude to Khama’s complaint is a smoking gun.
“I am further concerned that reportedly no steps have been taken to investigate the planned attempts on Mr Khama’s life… I am equally concerned with the dismissive responses of the authorities to the allegations, indicating disconcerting disregard for the serious threats against Mr. Khama’s life”, states Callamard in her letter to President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Khama now finds himself shouting “assassination” into the void” but the former president also has himself to blame. Khama’s biggest problem is that he’s made so many absurd and outlandish claims in the past that even if he was telling the truth, he might be ignored for crying wolf too many times. Like the boy in the fable, Khama had simply cried wolf too many times to be believed.
While president of Botswana Khama approached the United States for arms of war and related military equipment to claiming Zimbabwe was mobilising to attack Botswana.
According to leaked secret US Embassy communications, Botswana asked the United States to supply various military equipment, fearing an imminent military assault by Zimbabwe.
Major General Tlhokwane, then the Deputy Commander of the Botswana Defence Forces, is said to have approached a defence cooperation official at the US embassy in Botswana on July 14, 2008, and claimed that Zimbabwe had massed military forces on the border region.
He asked the US to help with global positioning systems, anti-tank missiles, short range air defence systems, F5 under-wing tank system and helicopter gunships to help Botswana prepare for the expected attack.
“The requests for anti-tank missiles and a short range air defence system make sense in the context of the current situation as Zimbabwe has more numerous and more advanced tanks and aircraft in their inventory than Botswana,” the US Embassy cable reads.
Embassy officials however dismissed Botswana’s fear as hype and advised against granting Botswana’s request, warning that provision of the equipment could harm America’s interests in the region and possibly trigger an arms race.
“This Mission is mindful of how a closer US government and (Botswana) security relationship, with possible provision of new arms and equipment, might impact our ongoing diplomacy in Southern Africa and beyond,” the embassy officials said.
“We should examine ways to enhance institutional ties and other support for the government of Botswana and the Botswana Defence Forces where appropriate, but also in a manner that will not harm overriding U.S. interests in Africa.”
Most recently, Khama told the President of the Court of Appeal, Ian Kirby that his son Boipuso “Puso” Kirby was assasinated by hitmen hired by former Debswana Managing Director Louis Nchindo.
In a statement made to the Botswana Police, Justice Kirby indicated that he doubted the credibility of Khama’s claims. At the time, Khama’s claims were as detailed ass that of his assassination plot.
In the police statement made on 21st February 2019, a copy of which has been passed to the Sunday Standard, Justice Kirby stated how former President Lt Gen Ian Khama told him that the late Louis Nchindo’s sidekick, Malcolm X had informed him that “R 2 000 000 had been transferred by Louis from his HSBC Bank in London to pay for the earlier attempt on my life in Lobatse and also (presumably) for what was done to Puso.” Khama claimed that Justice Kirby’s son Boipuso “Puso” Kirby was murdered by Nchindo’s hitmen.
In his police statement Justice Kirby states that, “I reminded him that evidence uncovered by the South African Police at that time indicated that in fact P 1 000 000 had been transferred from Louis account in London to Johannesburg in two transfers of R 500 000 each.
In an additional statement made on Monday 25th February 2019, Justice Kirby stated that, “he (Khama) said the Afrikaner who was involved in an attempt on my life was in prison. (I doubt if that is correct as I was informed that long ago that he (Le Roux) committed suicide.”
It was reported in May 2009 that a key witness in the alleged plot to assassinate Justice Kirby had mysteriously committed suicide, while the other suspect has also skipped South Africa, allegedly headed for Europe.
The Botswana Police Service also dismissed Khama’s claims as just another conspiracy theory.
In her letter to President Masisi, the United Nations’ former special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, states that, “Mr. Khama was informed by a reliable source of a plan to assassinate him in mid-2019 (during the general election). The plan reportedly involved the use of a highly radioactive substance to be administered during Mr. Khama’s visit to an isolated conservation resort in Botswana, 900 kilometres away from Gaborone. Mr Khama visited the camp frequently but exceptionally did not do so in 2019 and the plan was aborted.”
According to Khama’s complaint, the information was corroborated by a second source.
In his complaint, Khama stated that “further witnesses have corroborated the planned assassination at the resort and indicated that the plan was to use an isotope of polonium which was secured from a neighbouring country in anticipation of a visit from Mr Khama to the camp.”
Polonium was used in the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was one of the most high-profile assassinations of the decade. It particularly captured the public imagination because Litvinenko was killed using polonium-210, a rare but deadly substance that was thought to have been slipped into Litvinenko’s tea.
Conspiracy theories also claimed that the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned with radioactive polonium. A Swiss forensic report stated that tests on his body showed “unexpected high activity” of polonium, which “moderately” supported the poisoning theory. Many Palestinians believe that Israel poisoned Arafat.
Curiously, Agnes Callamard who presided over the Khama assassination claims was unwittingly taken in by these conspiracy theories. The United Nations former special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, once declared that PLO chief Yasser Arafat was murdered, the Israelis did it, and President Shimon Peres admitted this. All of which turned out to be lies.
The Khama assassination claims issue should be a lesson to Botswana politicians. They should take stock of the moment and recognize that their language needs to be more accountable and more appropriate to the circumstances.
