Former President Lt Gen Ian Khama has made peace overtures to his predecessor Mokgweetsi Masisi, but the window of opportunity for a truce seemed to be closing fast this week as Khama went back on the offensive.
Apparently shell shocked by the string of raids against his associates and the Central Region’s nomination of President Masisi for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) presidency, Khama last week allegedly approached the DIS Director General, Peter Magosi to arrange for peace talks with President Masisi.
Khama allegedly proposed that The DIS Director General Peter Magosi and Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President Elias Magosi should mediate in his peace talks with President Masisi.
Khama has in the past publicly acknowledged the role played by Peter and Elias Magosi in trying to broker a peace deal with his successor. The deal however collapsed after Khama claimed to have been disturbed by Masisi’s statement in his State of the Nation Address.
There was fresh hope last week that the peace talks would resume after Khama approached the DIS Director General to arrange for the peace negotiations, before the end of the weak however the planned talks seemed headed for the rocks.
Khama started making demands that his lawyer Parks Tafa should be made part of the peace talks while Masisi allegedly insisted on bringing in the party elders.
By Thursday morning, the proposed peace talks were in jeopardy after Khama made a video interview with a local newspaper accusing President Masisi of being “disrespectful”
It what may be a death knell to the planned peace talks, former President Khama is today (Sunday) expected to marshal Bangwato tribesmen to subvert last week’s decision by the Central Region to endorse Masisi as BDP President.
Khama who is Bangwato chief will be a speaker at today’s meeting in Serowe by Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi’s supporter to try and overturn the decision by the Central Region whose seat of authority is Serowe.
