… after SADC asks Botswana govt to invite the family to receive Sir Seretse’s honorary award
TEFO PHEAGE
Following several promises by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that Botswana’s founding president Seretse Khama’s honorary award will be handed to the family in “a befitting ceremony”, the economic bloc has tasked the Botswana Government to make the necessary arrangements to invite the family to its next summit scheduled for August this year.
Of all the SADC founding fathers who were honoured at the last summit of the regional bloc, Seretse Khama of Botswana was the only one whose award was not handed over to the family.
Uncollected
According to SADC, his son Ian, who does not see eye to eye with his successor President Mokgweetsi Masisi, was supposed to have been invited by the government to receive the award. However, the government did not and the award was uncollected.
This week, the head of Communications and Public Relations at SADC, Barbara Lopi said “a decision has been made that the award be handed over to the family at the next SADC summit to be held in August 2023”.
She continued: “We trust that the Khama family will be informed of this arrangement by the government”.
Speaking to this publication on the matter previously, Ian Khama absolved SADC of any blame and attributed the omission to the Botswana Government.
“The blame sits entirely on the regime that defied a SADC resolution out of their usual pettiness by engaging in their perpetual vindictiveness towards our family members, both past and present,” he said.
Frontline States
The awards honour leaders of the Frontline States which in 1980 established the Southern African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC).
After supporting the independence of Namibia that eventually came in 1992 and South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid that ended in majority rule in 1994, SADCC was transformed into SADC in 1992.