The Tragedy of being Ian Khama
Ian Khama is a man of many epithets. A man of mean theatrics! The last time we were here, he was playing Moses with Covid vaccines. Just in case you have not yet heard. He is at it again. Another stunt! This time with a self- victimising letter to South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa. In this Shakespearean tragedy of a letter, he is playing a very queer role, that of being both a hero and a villain at the same time.
Let me spare you the torture that comes with reading the letter and just say it is a perfect psychedelic moment, of a hero who is yet to enter his own story. It is soliloquy of a sociopath. Lamentations of a narcissist!
Does anybody here have Mr. Lucifer’s Whatsapp number? Nothing untoward, I just want to check if the fire is still burning. May someone remind Khama that some of us were here during his years of tyranny?
Even though some of his victims are now busy attempting to whitewash his tyranny for political gain, some of us have chosen principle over convenience. And by that, I do not mean he is supposed to be victimised. I mean, he should stop the pretense.
No matter how long a log stays in the river, it cannot be a crocodile. Pardon me if I offend you compatriots. It is just a casual observation; I stand corrected. Is Khama’s letter to Ramaphosa, not almost a letter to himself? I am just saying. I thought they were two sides of the same coin. I thought they were in this thing together. In fact, I even thought this latest stunt was Ramaphosa’s ‘ clever’ initiative.
Once again, pardon me, I sometimes get lost in thoughts. I have been smoking a lot of things lately. Maybe just the long- term effects of Modaefok! I swear that thing has made Black- Label taste awful. The point is, did you know Khama is the most- covered by SABC after Ramaphosa?
Let us not crack our heads over it, let us just say, it is a ‘ coincidence’. Did you know that, the SABC in all its interviews with Khama has never bothered to give government of Botswana right of reply? Once again, let us save ourselves the torture of trying to figure out why, let us just say, it is an editorial error.
There is therefore, nothing surprising that, on September 3, 2021, South African National Civic Organization ( SANCO) with probably rent- a- protester, who are readily available in the streets of Pretoria for the right amount of nyaope, ‘ staged’ a march to our High Commission with some very weird demands.
Worse off, in an interview with Newzroom Afrika, SANCO regional chairperson, Abram Mashishi said, “Motsepe was arrested in Botswana, and she was forced to make an affidavit undertaking that she must implicate the former President Ian Khama”.
Although he could be pardoned for saying it in a language similar to English, because ‘ English is not my mother,’ he should not be pardoned for the utter lies. In the list of SANCO’s insane demands, is that “the Botswana Government must publicly denounce their use of AfriForum and commit themselves to cutting ties with this right- wing organisation.”
As I previously stated, engaging AfriForum was a strategic error, especially that Peter Magosi did not have a shred of evidence to back his ridiculous claims. However, SANCO must be given a free lesson, that engaging AfriForum is not illegal.
Secondly, Advocate Gerrie Nel is not the first South African lawyer to be engaged in Botswana. Advocates Paul Kennedy and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi represented Umbrella for Democratic Change ( UDC). They therefore, should first read the instruction manual before they complain that the machine is not working.
In his letter, Khama “pays regard” to SANCO’s antiBotswana stance and ‘ reiterates’ their position that, “the government of Botswana by its action has undermined the integrity of your government, and compounded offensive by collaborating with AfriForum”.
Let me close this piece by drawing you to the timeline of the recent events, there is SANCO march, followed by the letter to Ramaphosa and then SABC News International Editor, Sophie Mokoena’s interview with Khama on September 21, 2021 where Khama peddled the same allegations in the letter.
I thought in the letter, Khama would highlight to Ramaphosa that hosting Daniel Kenosi, who continually publishes information that prejudices our national security is not being very neighbourly.
I do not think even Khama would have appreciated Kenosi’s surrogate actions during his tenure. Once again pardon me, it may have skipped me, is Ramaphosa prefect of the region?