Botswana`s Ian Khama can`t get asylum in SA as refugee offices are closed - govt

Source: News 24, 29/11/2021

• The home affairs department denied reports in Botswana that
its former leader was seeking political asylum in South Africa.
• A home affairs spokesperson said even if Ian Khama wanted to
apply for asylum, it wasn`t currently possible as refugee processing
offices were closed due to Covid-19.
• The Seretse Khama Ian Khama Foundation issued a statement on
10 November stating that Khama was in South Africa.
The Department of Home Affairs has denied reports doing the rounds in
neighbouring Botswana that its former leader Ian Khama has left the
country and is seeking political asylum in South Africa.
Responding to media queries from News24, Department of Home Affairs
spokesperson Siyabulela Qoza said the `refugee reception offices are
currently closed, and this means that no new asylum applications are
being processed`.
He went on to say that `the Department of Home Affairs has no record
of Mr Ian Khama having applied for asylum in SA`, as was being
reported in Botswana.
Sources at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation
(Dirco) told News24 the department was watching the matter closely.
A Dirco official said:
This situation threatens to be a repeat of the former Mozambique
finance minister (Manuel Chang). That scenario caused friction between
the two countries, and this too threatens the same.
Chang has been jailed in South Africa since 2018 and is set to be
extradited to the US.
Seeking protection
When approached for comment, the head of public diplomacy at Dirco
Clayson Monyela said questions by News24 would be best directed to the
home affairs department.
The Seretse Khama Ian Khama Foundation issued a statement on
Wednesday, 10 November denying reports that Botswana`s former
statesman had fled the country to South Africa.
The foundation issued the statement after media reports that Khama had
ditched state security and crossed the border with South Africa, where
it was alleged he was seeking protection from Pretoria, claiming
Gaborone wanted to arrest him.
`The SKI Khama Foundation office is receiving a flurry of enquiries
regarding the absence from the country of former president Lt. Gen.
Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, who is in South Africa on a private
visit.
`We are also observing commentary that seems to be deliberately untrue
and causing undue public alarm. The notion that he has fled the
country or has gone into exile is simply not true. It is also not
true, as alleged by some, that he at any point confirmed fleeing
Botswana, never to return. The former president is on a pre-arranged
private visit to RSA, visiting friends and family, and having a series
of meetings connected to his private visit. When Gen. Khama has
completed his engagements in South Africa or anywhere else where these
may take place he will return home,` read the foundation`s statement.
Khama was understood to have made his way to South Africa after
Botswana`s Intelligence Director-General Peter Magosi demanded that he
hand over all his firearms.
Magosi even lodged an urgent application in the Botswana High Court
for permission to raid Khama`s residences, which was triggered by an
allegation that Khama had threatened Botswana`s security.
The former president had also previously been accused of conspiring to
dethrone incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
In the court papers, the Intelligence Agency says Khama may be in
violation of the Penal Code, which includes the concealment of
treason, obtaining unlicensed firearms and possession of arms of war.
This went back to a case in which three members of Khama`s private
security detail were accused of possessing illegal firearms. The
matter was later dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
Search and seizure warrant
Khama and his successor, Masisi, had a fallout in the run-up to the
2019 elections.
The High Court dismissed the application for a search and seizure
warrant to raid Khama`s home.
There were also reports that the Intelligence Directorate had
approached the Lobatse High Court for a warrant of arrest for Khama,
with the court dismissing the application on Monday.
University of Botswana lecturer in politics and administrative studies
Adam Mfundisi has said the rivalry between Khama and Masisi can be
traced back to Masisi`s ascendance to the highest political office on
1 April 2018.
He said:
Upon assuming office, Masisi adopted an aggressive policy of damning
everything his boss did or did not do. According to his interpretation
of the political environment, anything that the Khama administration
pursued was detrimental to the socio-economic and political
development of Botswana. Even if he was SKI`s (Seretse Khama Ian
Khama`s) most trusted lieutenant, he wanted to trash SKI`s legacy,
which was riddled with serious problems.
Mfundisi said public confidence and trust in the Khama administration
at the end of his tenure was extremely low. Generally, people accused
the Khama-Masisi regime of being undemocratic, authoritarian,
unethical and unaccountable, among other things. Mfundisi said Masisi
wanted to disassociate himself from the unpleasant perceptions of the
former administration.
`To him, Masisi went all out to demonise former president Khama to woo
the voters to his newly branded CAVA BDP (Botswana Democratic Party)
brigade. The 2019 general election was used as a platform to launch
vicious and vitriolic propaganda against Khama and his associates.
Anyone who associated with Khama was a demon and needed to be shunned
by the voters. An assault on Khama`s presidential benefits was
questioned and assertions of Khama`s autocratic leadership tossed,`
said Mfundisi.
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