SA to demand answers about P100bn lie

  • Justice ministry says they have seen the ruling and will be seeking clarity from Botswana
  • Will also demand answers why Botswana ignored bilateral protocols
  • Khama tells SA that “ours is a banana republic masquerading as a government”

TEFO PHEAGE

A spokesman of the South African Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services, Chrispin Phiri, says they have received the judgement of the P100 billion case which has been declared a fabrication by the courts in Botswana and will be engaging the Botswana government on the matter.

The South African government was implicated in the case for allegedly refusing to cooperate before the government here eventually engaged the services of the rightwing Afrikaner organization AfriForum to press South Africa to release information.

Phiri said in an interview with SABC yesterday: “Now that the High Court has ruled on the matter that this case is a fabrication, we will seek clarity from our sister nation. Of particular concern is that they had sought to engage with us through rightwing Afrikaner organisation, AfriForum, instead of going through the SADC protocol or bilateral and diplomatic processes.”

Phiri added that they are very much concerned about the matter. “We are taking it up with Botswana and we hope to get a response from them. The accusations which were levelled against us for refusing to assist with information are baseless as a result of the judgement.”

Former president Ian Khama followed Phiri in the same interview and described President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s administration as “a regime masquerading as government” and had turned Botswana into a banana republic.

He accused Masisi of having strained the two countries’ bilateral relations, saying Khama would do all he can to restore the two countries’ relations that were harmonised by their two previous presidents.

Khama and his co-accused are suing the state for defamation and are demanding millions of pula. It is expected that their suit will be boosted by the High Court judgement which has ruled that the states case was fabricated to secure prosecution against an innocent citizen, Welheminah Maswabi, code named “Butterfly.”