Masisi has no time to discuss Khama – Leagajang
GAZETTE REPORTER
Former president Ian Khama and his younger brother Tshekedi will not attend the funeral of their elder sister, Jacqueline, on Friday. The Khama brothers are in self-imposed exile in South Africa after they made persistent allegations of harassment by the Directorate of Intelligence Security Service (DISS).
The acting president of the BPF, Caroline Lesang, told The Botswana Gazette this week that the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) government has made life difficult for the Khama family.
Lesang stated that the Khama brothers’ decision to go into self-exile is an indication that they feel safer in a foreign country.
“We support the Khamas’ decision to stay away during this time because they have always been a target of this regime,” Lesang said. “The point is that they would be arrested if they came.”
She added that it is disheartening to realise that the government is still hellbent on intimidating the Khama family.
“I want to believe that if the government had a case against the Khamas, it would have been sorted out by now,” Lesang asserted. “What we are seeing is politically-motivated accusations.”
It is all the BPF can do to offer support and prayers for the family under the circumstances, she said, adding that none of the allegations levelled against the Khamas has succeeded.
“It is quite shocking that we continue to witness intimidation of the Khama family,” Lesang asserted. “What hurts is that they are never accorded fair treatment, hence it will be difficult for them to come and bury their sister. You can imagine how painful that is to them.”
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions recently stated that there were no plans to extradite former president Khama despite his case coming up early June.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa recently, Press Secretary to the President, Batlhalefi Leagajang, said the President had more important things to do. “The President (Mokgweetsi Masisi) has an economy to run and to resuscitate (the country) from the hardships of COVID-19,” he said.
“He’s got a nation to save from COVID-19 and he’s got the manifesto deliverables to work on. That’s what the President is laser-focused on. He’s got no time to be discussing former president Khama.”