Get married first, State House mocks Khama
By Ludia Ngwadzai and Thandizo Banda
STATE House has dismissed remarks allegedly made by former Botswana president Ian Khama against President Hakainde Hichilema questioning the latter’s conduct and credibility.
And the opposition Zambia We Want party and Tonse Alliance have told United Party for National Development (UPND) surrogates to stop attacking Khama for his concerns about Zambia’s democracy.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Khama is seen and heard taking the government of Botswana to task for attending the inauguration of Hichilema, whom he describes as “Africa’s newest dictator”, despite the violations surrounding the August general elections.
Chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka said State House would only consider responding to Khama’s statements when he finally married.
“We even doubt he is a true Motswana person, because those people are extremely disciplined and respectful to other people,” Hamasaka said.
He said the institution was willing to engage any of Khama’s children in discussions.
Hamasaka wondered whether Khama’s alleged remarks reflected the values of Botswana, saying the people of the neighbouring country were generally known for their discipline and respect for others.
He said Zambia and Botswana shared strong historical and social ties, including numerous intermarriages between the citizens of the two countries, making it difficult to believe that such remarks could have come from a former leader of Botswana.
Hamasaka also accused Khama of hypocrisy, alleging that he had failed to disclose his personal connections to individuals currently under police investigation.
“We have been seeing some of his Facebook page posts and we ignored him, but hypocrisy is him not declaring interest that some of the culprits currently under police detection are his personal relatives,” he said.
Hamasaka said Khama had been among individuals sponsoring a militia group in Zambia, claiming this was information known to authorities long before the latest controversy.
He described Khama as an unusual former leader, questioning his criticism of Hichilema after previously visiting State House and allegedly lobbying the Zambian head of state over personal interests.
And the opposition Zambia We Want party and Tonse Alliance have told United Party for National Development (UPND) surrogates to stop attacking Khama for his concerns about Zambia’s democracy.
In an interview with The Mast, Zambia We Want and Tonse Alliance chairman for international relations George Chulumanda said the UPND and its supporters should instead reflect on the serious governance concerns raised by the international community, including the United Nations Human Rights Commission (IUNHRC) and the European Union (EU) on the credibility of the last elections.
Khama was not an ordinary critic to be dismissed with political insults from commoners.
“Khama is a former Defence Force commander who gave up power willingly as president after serving Botswana diligently. Khama is a well researched statesman whose views are informed by international observer mission reports, including the European Union and African Union,” Chulumanda said.
Chulumanda, Zambia’s former ambassador to Mozambique and former Nkana member of Parliament, counselled the government to desist from engaging in unnecessary quarrels with neighbouring countries and instead undertake sincere introspection into its own conduct and address the governance challenges confronting the nation.
