- New offices separated from retirement home unlike other Ex presidents
- Khama insisted on privacy at his residence, no civil servants
- Masire’s son, Jeff Ramsay clash on ‘separate offices’ allegations
TEFO PHEAGE
President Ian Khama who leaves office in two weeks prefers to have his retirement residence separated from his official retirement offices to avoid situations where civil servants will continue to snoop into his private life.
To that end, he was built separate offices away from the fully renovated Masire retirement residency and the constructor, Chocholoza Building Construction has already handed him keys to the facility.
According to a source at the Department of Building and Engineering Services (DBES), “Khama insisted on his privacy, arguing that he doesn’t approve of the arrangement where civil servants continue to surround him even at his home as is the arrangement with former presidents-Festus Mogae and the late Sir Ketumile Masire.”
Khama will occupy the late Masire’s renovated retirement home in Extension 5 after government backtracked from building him a P34 million retirement home following public uproar last year. “This will save government the expense of constructing a new facility,” it was stated.
Despite the fact that Masire’s old retirement home was renovated last year together with its home offices, Khama rejected the offices and built his own away from the residence plot. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing Development Permanent Secretary, Dikagiso Mokotedi told The Botswana Gazette “Khama can move into the new facility any-time if he wishes.” A source at DBS says the new facility was built for over half the amount that was to be saved by occupying Masire’s home. “That’s an equally very expensive and fancy facility,” the source emphasized. Khama’s private Secretary Brigadier Tlhalerwa declined to share the amount used to build the offices while Mokotedi promised to revert but never did.
Government Spokesperson Jeff Ramsey suggested that the Masire retirement facility did not have offices further adding that Masire had separate offices. “His residence area did not double as his office. There was a separate plot that was used as his office away from his residence.” The claim was however dismissed by Mmetla, Masire’s son who is also Chief Executive Officer at Water Utilities Cooperation. “The place doubled as his residence and office. To my knowledge he did not have any other office that was used as his office outside his residence,” he said in a claim also confirmed by the late president’s former private Secretary Bergsman Sentle. “It was his residence and office. There were about 15 support staff members excluding the police department,” he said.
Homes of both Festus Mogae and Masire have always doubled as their offices. Mogae’s Phakalane home doubles as office and is currently undergoing renovation. “We are currently renovating for the first time and have temporarily relocated to a government house that was used by Masire at a time when his home was undergoing renovations,” confirmed Rhee Hetanang, his Private Secretary.
While Khama’s move clearly breaks the norm, the law does not clearly prescribe what should happen. According to the President’s Pensions and Retirement package, Khama is entitled to an official residence and office space provided by the state.
He also has the luxury to choose where he wants to have his retirement home built when he retires, the same package also allows him to get employment if he so wishes and to use government transport which includes a helicopter or boat when he travels in areas inaccessible by a motor vehicle.
Khama will also take along his Private Secretary Tlhalerwa to continue serving him as the Private Secretary. Khama has already said that he will move out of the state house next week to create space for the incoming president, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
President Ian Khama who will be leaving office in April 1st will be getting:
SALARY BREAKDOWN
- A lump sum of P4.3 million in his first year of retirement on April 1 2018
- P948,960 earmarked for ‘basic salary’
- P50,000 for different types of allowances.
- allocated P1.73 million for external travel and P145,000 for his internal trips.
- government will spend P150,000 on his furniture and equipment,
- another P150,000 is categorised as “grounds – maintenance and running expenses”.
- P175,000 for incidental expenses
- P100,000 for “domestic and household requisites”
- P100,000 for office supplies
- P250,000 for postal charges
- P380,000 for “service charges”
- P113,330 has been budgeted for maintenance of equipment, vehicles and plant
THE BENEFITS - Use of state helicopter or a boat when he travels in areas that are not accessible by a motor vehicle.
- a gratuity equal to 30 percent of his current monthly salary multiplied by the number of months completed as President
- “a tax free monthly pension equivalent to the monthly basic salary or 80 percent of the incumbent President’s salary, whichever is greater.”
- surviving spouse shall also be paid a tax free annual pension of P182, 316.00
- option to choose between having a furnished residential house of the standard and size specified by the President or receiving a housing allowance in lieu of the house
- a number of security officers as determined by the sitting President, two drivers, two maids, one gardener, one private secretary, one secretary and one office attendant
- It includes a telephone, computer/word processor, office furniture and other office equipment
- State sponsored medical aid
- First class air travel will also extend to international trips up to a maximum of 4 trips per annum(including a spouse if accompanying)and per diem for each trip
- one sedan (Mercedes Benz or an equivalent or similar class of motor vehicle), one 4 wheel drive station wagon and one pick-up van and they will be replaced as and when necessary
- He will also receive entertainment allowance, telephone expenses as well as water and electricity expenses for the office and residence.
- Other residential includes Mosu compound and in Diseta Island in the Okavango delta area
GIFTS DONATED TO KHAMA BY PUBLIC
- Over 1.3 million cash gift
- 2 Land Cruisers worth over 2 million
- Over 500 cattle
- 10 Simmental calves
- 400 farming machinery
- Estimated 250 chicken
- 250 Ranch fencing material
- Over 150 goats
- Over 100 sheep
- 50 bags of cement
- 100 artefacts
- 100 bags of sorghum meal
- 2 horses
- 2 zebras
- A bicycle worth P60 000
- 40 bibles
- 2 guinea fowls
- A Pistol
- A Ranch
- 4 donkeys
- Pigeons
- A rabbit