- Khama demands P1.5m for defamation
- McD Peloetletse has confirmed being served with court papers
- Khama says McD called him a “thief”
LETLHOGILE MPUANG
Former president Ian Khama is going ahead with his P1.5 million defamation lawsuit against former Gaborone city councillor, MacDonald Peloetletse, The Botswana Gazette has established.
Khama is suing Peloetletse, better known as McD, over a Facebook post in which he wrote of Khama: “A liar and a thief who stole money that the UN had paid to the soldiers who went for operations and paid them less than a quarter of what was actually due to them.”
The statements were made in May 2021. Khama’s papers were filed in court on 19 October 2021. The case will be heard by Justice Zein Kebonang. Khama is represented by Victor Ramalepa of Ramalepa Attorneys.
“The plaintiff claims locus standi in judicio for the reason that the defamatory and insulting words, which are the subject of this action, were written and published in reference of the plaintiff. The plaintiff was therefore adversely affected by the defendant’s defamatory and insulting statements and therefore has the requisite legal standing to sue for damages,” Khama’s application reads.
It further states that the claims made by Peloetletse are not only false but present Khama as dishonest, a thief and a corrupt politician. “The impugned statement was published with the intention to injure the plaintiff in his personal rights, good name and dignity,” it says.
Before this matter got the courts, Khama had asked Peloetletse to retract the statements and issue a public apology, which Khama says was not done.
Peloetletse has confirmed that Khama’s lawyers served him with the papers on Thursday last week. However, he said he could not discuss the matter as it is before the courts.
Peloetletse, who is a member of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), was made a specially nominated councillor during Khama’s presidency.