A clutch of documents compiled by a team campaigning to topple President Mokgweetsi Masisi projects Pelonomi Venson- Moitoi as former President Lt Gen Ian Khama’s proxy.
A report by experts assigned to help Venson Moitoi’s campaign for the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) presidency recommended that she should withdraw from the contest because if she lost it would reflect badly of Lt Gen Ian Khama.
“Having expressed support for Mrs Moitoi, her defeat will reflect badly on Mr Khama, notwithstanding that the election is being heavily manipulated and even rigged in favour of incumbent whose backers are intent on him winning by hook or crook. The question is then why participate in a sham election whose only deliverable will be to legitimize the many transgressions. In this instance Mrs Moitoi must refuse to partake in a travesty of democracy and fair competition. By so doing the incumbent will be recipient of a hollow victory” states the report.
“If our recommendation is adopted for Mrs Moitoi to withdraw her participation, the Kang convention should accordingly be dismissed as a non-event because of the blatant manipulation of the process in favour of the incumbent. Logically the question then turns to which other measures should be put in place to defend the honour and integrity of Mr Khama, which is concomitant with protecting him and his supporters from the hostile trajectory adopted by Mr Masisi. As observed before, a triumphant Masisi will emerge more bullish from the convention and nothing suggests his pursuit of Mr Khama will de-escalate.”
A similar narrative also emerges in a brief that Bridgette Motsepe Radebe passed to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) before their interview with Lt Gen Khama earlier this year.
Motsepe Radebe tried to use the South African apartheid experience to influence South African citizens against President Mokgweetsi Masisi and in favour of former President Lt Gen Ian Khama.
In an unsigned written brief to the SABC a copy of which has been passed to the Sunday Standard she stated: “like many of our exiled and imprisoned political leaders who were fighting against depravation of human rights in SA, Sir Seretse Khama fought for his human rights and freedom of choice and was exiled for it and he renounced his royal status as a paramount chief.”
She states in the brief that President Mokgweetsi Masisi threatened freedom of speech for the citizens and the media. He “ordered Botswana state media (Botswana television, Daily News, Kutlwano Magazine) to bar all news coverage on former President Khama. Similar to the apartheid regime’s treatment towards President Mandela ‘freedom fighters and political leaders (sic). Media freedom in Botswana has been curtailed and threatened. There is detention without trial. Isaac Kgosi was detained for tax evasion, locked up in a military prison without trial. His wife was put under house arrest. Civil servants have been ordered to boycott Khama’s meeting. Those who attend get victimised and face the threat of being fired.
