In a stunning turn of events, former president of Botswana, Ian Khama, has returned home after a three-year self-imposed exile, only to have criminal charges against him dropped by a magistrate in Gaborone.
Khama told the media that his lawyers informed him on Friday that the possession of weapons of war charges against him was dropped by the state following an ongoing welcome ceremony at the Serowe sports complex.
“I am glad that the charges against me have been dropped because the case against me was flawed. I was told by my lawyers that the case against had been dropped. The case against me is now over, and there is no one else who will come after me after this,” he said.
Khama fled Botswana in 2021, after reports that he feared for his life and his freedom. During that year and in 2023, the government of his successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, laid charges against him for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, money laundering, and receiving stolen property.
IOL reported that in 2022, the authorities issued arrest warrants against him for failing to show up in court to face the firearms charges.
The 71-year-old, who led the country for a decade until 2018, faced multiple allegations, including money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, which he has vehemently denied, claiming they were politically motivated.
Khama, who had recently expressed fears for his safety upon return — alleging a plot to poison him — appeared in court in September where he unexpectedly left some of his supporters shouting “the general is back”.
Even his sudden appearance caught prosecutors by surprise, as noted by State prosecutor Ambrose Mubika, who remarked: “We were taken by surprise.”
At the court hearing, the magistrate rescinded the arrest warrants. “I’m happy with the magistrate’s ruling,” Khama stated post-hearing, signalling a degree of victory in his troubling saga.
His lawyer, Unoda Mack, commented: “The State wanted him back in the country and now he is back. He is in the country for as much as he likes.”
Khama’s return comes at a politically charged time, after last month’s elections after Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) was elected as president of the country.
His return also highlights a fracture within the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, which he had once led. While Khama now operates outside state security and has employed private guards due to his falling out with Masisi, he previously depended on state protection as a former president, indicating a deep-seated mistrust between the two rivals.
When asked recently by journalists how he arrived in Botswana, Khama said: “I crossed into Botswana from South Africa, driving myself.”
This was after Khama’s legal team had informed prosecutors that he would be returning to the country to appear in court, but he instead returned 10 days earlier than expected.
The Star