Khama’s associate reports Masisi to UN
Says the report is for the good of the country
It is my humble plea that an immediate intervention be sought to rectify our situation so that our country is restored to its original status.
Local businessman and close associate of former President Ian Khama, Shadrack Baaitse says his continued reporting of President Mokgweetsi Masisi to international bodies is for the benefit of the country and not him and the former president.
Baaitse who once reported the president to the AU, has made another report to Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, a week before UN General Assembly which Masisi attended last week in the USA.
According to Baaitse he is aware of concerns that he might be doing that for his personal benefit and for the former president because of what they deem as harassment by the Masisi regime.
“Of course I have suffered and continue to suffer under the current administration but I have reported the matter to relevant authorities and will allow the law to take its course.
“But what I am doing through the reports is entirely for my country because even though people might not want to vent out, they see with their own eyes that our country is in trouble,” Baaitse said. In the letter, he claims that there is an urgent “humanitarian crisis” facing the Republic of Botswana since the inception of President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi on 1st of April 2018. “Regrettably as you may be aware, out of all African member states, Botswana has been an exemplary state in the rule of law, stability in peace and tranquillity, human rights compliance, democracy but to only mention a few.
“Secondly, as a former member of the Botswana Defence Force ( BDF) having served previously in several United Nations Peace keeping operations such as UNOMOZ and UNOSOM, I find the situation of our country quite disturbing since President Masisi assumed office on 01st April 2018.
“In his inauguration statement, President Mokgweetsi Masisi promised the nation and the International community that he will do his best to protect and preserve the constitution of the Republic of Botswana and swore by the name of God that he will uphold and protect the constitution of Botswana,” he said in a letter to Guterres. Baaitse alleges in the letter that in his observation, Masisi is selling the country to China and has adopted certain Chinese policies that are anti- democracy which were even alluded to by the government of Botswana in their affidavit in a case where former President Khama sued the Government of Botswana and President Masisi, Directorate of Intelligence and security ( DIS) for violating his rights.
“It is with this letter that I, on behalf of many other Citizens also want to raise a serious concern regarding the deliberate ill- action of president Masisi’s response to Covid- 19 vaccine program and his ill- action in the response on tackling the pandemic.
“It is my humble plea that an immediate intervention be sought to rectify our situation so that our country is restored to its original status,” he said. Baaitse told this publication that there is no how he could be fighting on behalf of the former president. He indicated that as citizens there is no need to wait for politicians to raise issues.
Said Baatsi, “It is our obligation as citizens to point out these things to the international community. When you wait for politicians to raise such matters of national importance, the matters raised might be politicised and the core and sought assistance might not be realised.
Once the issue is politicised the entire intention dies of. As a concerned citizen I have found it fit to come to the party and do what has to be done.”