President Mokgweetsi Masisi has dismissed a recent protest led by controversial pastor, Reverent Thuso Tiego as a manifestation of the ongoing rivalry between the president and his predecessor Lt Gen Ian Khama. Reverend Tiego with a number of opposition members on tow recently marched the streets of Gaborone calling on President Masisi to resign.
Addressing the media at the State House this week Masisi said, “I’m unique.” There has never been a president whose immediate predecessor has sworn that they will never rest until they see their successor going down. The recent activities that saw some pastor call for my resignation is only a manifestation of that.”
Masisi said people should learn to respect Botswana’s democratic process. “I will continue to ensure that the country I lead remains democratic. He urged anyone who wants to remove him from the presidency to challenge him in 2024.
Masisi and Khama had a bitter falling out in the lead up to the 2019 general elections and since then their relationship has grown from bad to worse.
The two have (among other issues) fought over Khama’s retirement benefits which the BDP majority railroaded through parliament on the eve of Khama’s retirement. Now the issue has come to haunt the current president. Masisi’s administration has been skimping on granting Khama some of the privileges provided for under the legislation. Khama has won all cases in relation to the benefits with the latest victory coming as recently as August 2021. The High Court ruled that the 2019 refusal by Masisi’s administration to fund the trip to Tibet was unlawful and ordered that the former president be reimbursed. Khama, in line with his retirement benefits, had requested for travel funds and security detail in order to honour an invitation by the Central Tibetan Administration in India to officiate at the 60th National Uprising Day in March 2019. The government had premised their refusal on their commitment to abide by the ‘One China’ policy.
In July, Masisi and Khama held parallel ceremonies in Gaborone and Serowe respectively to commemorate Khama’s father and Botswana’s founding President Sir Seretse Khama’s birthday.
Prior to the event, Khama told Sunday Standard he would be surprised to see President Masisi at the ceremony. He said it would be “interesting” should his successor show up at the July 1st commemoration.
The chairman of the organizing committee Nonofo Molefhi had invited the President.
“I am unaware of Masisi’s plans nor am I interested in any. Presidents’ Day is not until later in July anyway. As to whether you mean if he may show up at the centenary and would I be there if he does I will answer by asking from you what you think I should do in this regard when he has presided over a party that insulted my father, has eroded the democracy he established alongside many others, turned the BDP into something unrecognizable from its origins. And my being falsely accused of stealing from the Bank of Botswana among other things,” Khama told Sunday Standard late June, adding “It will be interesting.”
