KHAMA ON THE WARPATH

Former Botswana President Ian Khama caused a stir during his recent Oxford Union address when he attacked the West and especially USA President Donald Trump. Khama, who has in the past attacked Trump for encouraging poaching by overturning a ban on the import of hunting trophies, took another swipe at the US president, saying:"I do not know how Donald Trump got elected. He is the worst president the US has ever had. I believe deep down that Donald Trump is a racist, in issues both at home and abroad," Khama is quoted saying via a post of his speech by Oxford Union on Twitter. The statement did not sit well with a majority of citizens who see his actions as complete sabotage of President Mokgweetsi Masisi who has recently been trying to lure US universities to invest in Botswana’s education. Local commentators say while Masisi was in London to mend fences broken by Khama - who never fired such salvos during his tenure as president – the former president was himself undoing what Masisi was trying to repair. In his statement, Khama is quoted further by an Oxford Union tweet to have said that countries in the West portray themselves as watchdogs of democracy and human rights “but when it comes to trade they conviniently forget.” As for China, which Masisi visited recently to strengthen economic cooperation, Khama is quoted as having suggested that the Chinese were out to take advantage of Africa. “The Chinese attitude to investment is ‘this is Africa, let’s take advantage,’” he is quoted saying, adding that “we are not set up to employ Chinese people, but to employ our own people.” This too has been seen as a direct attempt to undo what Masisi is planning.However, Director of Public Relations, Research and Information in the Ministry of International Affairs and Coopeation, Tebelelo Boang, said that although he could not answer for the Office of the Former President, Botswana’s foreign policy position towards China “remains unchanged” since President Masisi’s recent state visit to the Asian powerhouse. “It is a strategic partnership built on mutual understanding,” said Boang, who recently transferred to head office from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Different commentators who saw the Oxford Union’s tweet were not amused but concurred that Khama's sentiments are a deliberate ploy to embarrass Masisi who is trying hard to secure business deals with China. They said it is not surprising for Khama to throw a jab at Masisi abroad as he continues to punch him on home soil.