Former Botswana President Condemns "Autocratic" Successor

GABORONE – Former Botswana President Ian Khama has accused the man he chose to succeed him of becoming an autocrat and threatening the country's reputation as a beacon of stability in Africa.

Khama, 66, left last week's ruling Botswana Democratic Party (Botswana Democratic Party) after a dramatic break with President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who took office last year.

Khama told AFP that he had made the "very painful" decision to leave the BDP because of the "immature and arrogant" attitude of the Masisi government.

"The person whom I appointed to be my successor, immediately after taking office, became very autocratic, very intolerant and this resulted in a decline of the democratic powers for which we have a reputation," Khama said. a telephone interview.

After serving the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office, Khama pbaded power in April 2018 to Masisi, who was then his deputy.

Khama resigned 18 months before the elections, thus allowing Masisi to step into the role and start campaigning.

But the two leaders have clashed so much that Khama left the party last weekend and said he would campaign against this party in the October elections.

Khama – whose father Sir Seretse Khama co-founded the BDP in 1962 – said he would not join another party but would support some candidates for opposition in parliament.

ELECTION IN THE BALANCE?

He added that some senior BDP officials feared that the party "is preparing for an electoral defeat," saying Masisi "has now become a handicap."

Since coming to power, Mr. Masisi has changed several key policies adopted by Khama, the most important being the lifting of the ban on hunting wildlife sports imposed in 2014.

"For me, it is so sad and extremely painful that all the years of work to realize what we have achieved are reversed," said Khama, adding that Masisi never objected to the ban. .

"We have had stability for many years, wildlife for years, and we are trying to play our role as a responsible member of the international community for the promotion of democracy.

"When you see what is going on and you put all the work back in the opposite direction, it is unacceptable."

Khama accused Masisi of suppressing dissent in Botswana.

"Anyone who is perceived as an opponent in a party or opposition parties – the state security organs are used to prosecute them and harbad people," he said. declared.

"These are things we have never seen in Botswana and we just cringe, it's so bad."

"I have seen this happen in other countries," he added, warning that the country "would begin to gradually register a serious democratic deficit."

The BDP described Khama's criticism of Masisi as "unfortunate".

"President Masisi is going to do what Botswana is best known for – to make it a democratic state, very stable economically and politically, nothing will change," BDP president Banks Kentse told AFP. .

& # 39; DECISION PAINTED & # 39;

"It was a very painful decision, very difficult, and I thought about it a lot," said the former party leader.

The BDP party said that it was not totally surprising to see Khama divorce the evening.

"The signs have always been there that the former president could possibly make such a decision," Kentse said.

"It is unfortunate that the former immediate president (…) has left the party – but we must move on, it is the election year.

"We wish him good luck in all the activities he undertakes." We understand that he has formed a new party (…) that will work with the opposition to overthrow the BDP. " said Kentse. .

In the performance of his duties, Khama was renowned for his outspoken speeches – publicly criticizing US President Donald Trump and then President Robert Mugabe in neighboring Zimbabwe.

He said that he was determined to be just as forthright about Masisi.

"When he was my vice president (…), he has never posted any of these problems that we are currently witnessing, he has always been very intelligent, very supportive of all those policies that he has. he's overthrowing now. "

Last week, Botswana drew the world's attention to Masisi's decision to end the ban on hunting.

The government said that elephant hunting would help control the growing population that it said would cause serious damage to farmers' livelihoods.

Masisi "has just met the needs of the people, you must give priority to people," said Kentse.

Botswana has the largest elephant population in the world, with more than 135,000 roaming freely in its unfenced parks and open spaces.