SADC summit: Khama, Magosi clash

BAKWADI LEKOPANE

editors@thepatriot.co.bw

Former President Ian Khama and the Director of the Directorate of Intelligence Services, Brigadier Peter Magosi, engaged in a heated confrontation over security arrangements when the latter approached the former, offering him security for the duration of his brief stay in Angola.

According to sources close to the incident, Khama was informed by one of his security personnel that Magosi wished to speak with him. Khama reportedly agreed to the meeting, where Magosi presented a proposal to provide him with a security detail consisting of three individuals during his stay in Angola.

The exchange took a confrontational turn when Khama questioned the timing of the security offer. “Why now?” he asked Magosi, pointing out that he had visited numerous countries without such security arrangements being extended to him.

In a brief interview with this publication, Khama confirmed the incident.“ Yes, I was briefed by one of my private security personnel that Magosi wished to see me.  I agreed. At the meeting he informed me that he wants to assign three security officers to me for my stay in Angola where I had gone to receive my father’s SADC award. I declined the offer,” revealed Khama.

Khama cited the DIS law, which mandates 24/7 protection for former presidents. He alleged that the security protection required by law had not been consistently provided to him, implying that this was an attempt to spy on his movements.

He expressed his skepticism about the sudden change in stance, stating, “The DIS has been tormenting me, and now they want to offer me protection?

“I told Magosi that I had my own security and that the Angolan government was also providing me with security during my stay in Angola. I deemed the offer unnecessary and even insulting to the Angolan hosts,” added Khama.

Khama departed from the summit shortly after the lunch back to his base in South Africa. Contrary to expectations, he did not meet Mokgweetsi Masisi or any other SADC heads of state to discuss his fallout with Masisi. He clarified that he had only exchanged pleasantries with Masisi, in passing like with other SADC heads of state.

Award controversy

After a period of extensive finger-pointing among the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the government, and the Seretse Khama Khama family regarding the SADC honorary award conferred upon the founding president, which had not been collected from the organization, the matter has finally being laid to rest.

The non collection of the award threw SADC into the fallout between Khama and Masisi dispute after the government reneged on its responsibility to engage the Seretse Khama family to go and collect the award. Upon seeing founding fathers’ families collecting the awards, Sir Seretse Khama’s family enquired with SADC why they were not invited to collect the award.

In response, the SADC distanced itself from the situation, asserting that “the Botswana government had prior knowledge of the award and should have facilitated its collection.” Ian Khama, former president of Botswana, placed blame on “President Masisi’s vindictiveness,” characterizing the episode as a clear instance of sabotage.

During that Summit of the regional bloc, the SADC paid tribute to its founding fathers, including Sir  Seretse Khama of Botswana and other esteemed leaders from Angola, Mozambique, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Notable figures such as Dr. Agostinho Neto, Samora Machel, Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, and Robert Mugabe were all honored at the event. Despite families of the founding fathers being in attendance to collect the awards, Seretse’s family was nowhere to be seen. The award was scheduled to be collected in the ongoing summit and has been collected.