Shamukuni dismisses Khama claims before UN
Minister of Justice Machana Shamukuni has rubbished former president Ian Khama that his human rights are being violated. Shamukuni volunteered the information before the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, 43rd session this week. The Minister argued that a solo complaint from Khama cannot be used as a yardstick to determine Botswana’s human rights.
“Allow me to highlight Botswana’s commitment to cooperate with special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary execution. The special rapporteur in July 2021 sent an inquiry to Botswana. The complaint was filed by the former president of Botswana Ian Khama to the effect that his life was under threat. Botswana Police Service has never received a complaint about the threats or details of the threat. There are no such records up to date,” the Minister said.
Concerning the reduction of the security detail for Khama, Shamukuni said government affirmed its commitment to safety and upkeep of its sitting and former presidents.
“As a result of which their personal protection and that of their immediate family members is protected under Section 5 of Intelligence and Security Act. It was further explained that the reduction in security detail followed 2020 security assessment as per Section 9 of the same Act. Such an assessment was not the first of its kind to have been conducted in past years,” he said.
Furthermore, Shamukuni said it was a company engaged by Khama, Omnia Strategy LLP that drove the ‘wrong’ narrative.
“Omnia Strategy LLP submitted an urgent communication to the special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary execution on behalf of Khama. They called upon the special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary execution to intervene decisively and insist that Botswana account for its actions and omissions in breach of its international obligations,” he said.
“Contrary to the allegations made by Omnia Strategy LLP, Botswana has responded to the special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary execution. No outstanding issues have been communicated by the special rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Omnia Strategy LLP said Botswana’s human rights is deteriorating, to the contrary, Botswana continues to perform relatively well in international human rights rankings. An individual’s complaint should not be used to draw conclusion that Botswana’s human rights are deteriorating.”
Shamukuni went on to read an array of examples where Botswana has been listed as doing great in protecting human rights.
The said petition concerns what they labelled ongoing threats against former president Khama’s life and safety, as well as the Botswana government’s failure to meaningfully respond to grave concerns already raised by the UNSR.
Omnia wrote a petition in 2022 stating what they termed ongoing threats against Khama’s life and safety, as well as the Botswana government’s failure to meaningfully respond to grave concerns already raised by the UNSR.
“Omnia’s urgent petition follows a wholly inadequate, hollow and belated reply from the government of Botswana, inexplicably filed seven months after the UNSR issued an urgent appeal calling for answers and immediate steps to halt violations and prevent their recurrence. In light of the government of Botswana’s clumsy attempt to brush the UNSR’s concerns aside, there are deeply worrying, ongoing developments in former president Khama’s case that reinforce the need for prompt and further action from the UNSR, as detailed in Omnia’s latest petition,” Omnia stated.
Omnia’s report
The following are some of the issues that had been raised by Botswana’s continued failure to ensure Khama’s safety;
Raids conducted recently by the Directorate on Intelligence and Security (DIS) at premises belonging to Khama, ostensibly justified by dubious “national security” arguments; Reports that the head of the DIS has assured the President Mokgweetsi Masisi that Khama (and former DIS director general Colonel Isaac Kgosi) would be “behind bars before the end of the year”, apparently irrespective of any evidence of wrongdoing;
The arrest and detention of Colonel Kgosi; The interrogation by the DIS of the head of former president Khama’s private security team; Broader, growing, concerns regarding the DIS’ lack of any accountability for civilian harm; and an emerging pattern of state-sponsored suppression of free speech and dissent within Botswana.