Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) patron, Ian Khama could be banned from taking part in active politics ahead of 2024 general election after Cabinet recently resolved through a Cabinet White Paper that retired Presidents should not participate in active politics.
The decision was gleaned from snippets of the Cabinet White Paper that will be presented for adoption by the upcoming February Budget session of Parliament. This development is targeting Khama. Cabinet was appointed and is led by Khama’s immediate successor President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Botswana goes to the polls in October 2024. Hopefully the opposition will help end the impasse if it wins. But the opposition is deeply divided and has failed consistently to offer an inspiring alternative, relying on BDP’s fetish for “self-immolation” to win by default. This has not helped the country in the 57 years since independence.
Cabinet has unanimously agreed that a former President who has served two terms (10 years) should not take part in active politics upon retirement and must not be eligible for re-election in any political office.
The proposal by the Cabinet is the case with some African countries that retired president should not return to active politics.
For example, Kenya and Zambia are some of the jurisdictions that have legal pieces that prohibits retired presidents from politics. Retired presidents who politics are bound to lose their retirement benefits in these states.
Kenya’s Presidential Retirement Benefits Act 2003 stipulates that a retired President shall not hold office in any political party for more than six months after ceasing to hold office as President.” The law also provides that retired presidents in Kenya are entitled to pension, gratuity, allowances, and other services including security.
In Zambia the retired presidents are guided by the Former President Act and it provides that a retirement benefit will be withdrawn for a retired president who return to active politics.
In November last year, Zambian media outlets reported that the government withdrawn the benefits of former president Edgar Lungu by invoking section five (5) of the Benefits of Former Presidents Act, which outlines the circumstances under which a former president benefits and privileges can be withdrawn.
In the case of Botswana amid president Mokgweetsi Masisi and Khama feud, it will seem as a witch-hunt on the latter.
Large majorities in Botswana say the rift between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, is causing economic and political instability in the country.
Concern about the two leaders’ falling out is high across key demographic groups, particularly among poorer citizens.
Even though Masisi is Khama’s handpicked successor, tensions between the two became apparent shortly after Khama left office when he demanded privileges such as a larger staff, 15 armed security guards, and the appointment of his brother Tshekedi Khama as vice president. The tensions reached the point where Khama left the country, in November 2022; he is currently self-exiled in South Africa.
\Khama has publicly criticised Masisi’s plan to negotiate a better deal for the government with the De Beers Group, saying the president is trying to enrich himself and the ruling party and will be to blame for economic hardship if the mining company pulls out of its 53-year-old partnership with the government.
If the cabinet recommendation gets green light, it means that Khama would no longer be associated with the BPF politics. That will be a killer blow for BPF and Khama’s political interests to large extent.
There should be a law deals with the issue of retired presidents and active politics. However, Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) due to its majority in Parliament will pass it. Khama during 2019 general elections stepped a massively campaigned against his former party BDP particularly in central district constituencies, a move that saw BPF winning all Serowe constituencies.
Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) also scored important victory in BDP stronghold constituencies such as Shoshong, Mahalapye, Palapye and Sefhare/ Ramokgonami riding on Khama’s popularity as the Kgosikgolo of GaMmangwato territory. BPF have since appointed him as its 2024 campaign manager.
The only difference between Khama and other opposition politicians is that he is the only former President of the Republic who after his presidency, left the BDP to form his own party. The Constitution or any law do not preclude him from participating in active politics after leaving office. The creators of the Constitution did not anticipate that a former President would become a full time politician after leaving office particularly that he would be well catered for by the State. Even before Khama relocated to South Africa in November 2021, he was still critical of the President vowing to ensure that he is removed from office.
