SESUPO RANTSIMAKO
Former president Ian Khama has claimed ignorance of South African civil societies’ call to have him handed over to Botswana law enforcement agencies, The Botswana Gazette has established.
Responding to this publication’s enquiries about this, Khama claimed that he was not aware that anyone considered him a fugitive from justice.
“You will be seeing me back home once I have updated my will and done a full medical examination to prove that I am in good health,” he said.
“This is to counter any claims in case I am harmed and they try to cover it by saying it was due to natural causes”.
After an interview that Khama gave to SABC television programme Checkpoint, the leader of African Transformation Movement (ATM), Vuyo Zungula, called for him to be handed over to Botswana law enforcement agencies and accused him of being a fugitive.
Extradition
Zungula accused the South African government of contravening an extradition treaty that the country has with Botswana by refusing to hand Khama over.
Another organisation, the Institute for Democracy and Transformation, said it would take the matter up with the courts to have Khama stand trial in his country.
But South African president Cyril Ramaphosa differed with these organisations, saying that he did not consider Khama a fugitive.
Addressing the media on allegations that he was harbouring a fugitive after criminal charges were laid against Khama in Botswana, Ramaphosa said Khama was a visitor and not a fugitive.
“Khama is here on a visit,” he said. “So we are not perceived as harbouring a person who is a fugitive or whatever.”
Ramaphosa added that he believed that because of the strong ties between Botswana and South Africa, the two countries would be able to resolve the matter.