Former Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama alleges assassination plot linked to Zimbabwe government
Former Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama says he has received warnings from two independent sources about an alleged plot to assassinate him, which he claims is linked to his criticism of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa and recent constitutional changes in Zimbabwe.
Speaking to the Masvingo Mirror, Khama made the allegations after what he described as corroborating information about a reported visit to Botswana by a senior Zimbabwean intelligence official earlier this week.
He claimed the official held meetings with Botswana intelligence counterparts as part of a plan targeting him.
The allegations have not been independently verified.
Speaking about the warnings, Khama said he decided to make the information public in case anything happened to him.
“I was contacted by two sources with information that there is a plot by the Government of Mnangagwa to kill me. These sources have been trying to get in touch with me for some time and it is not by coincidence that a top CIO was in Botswana this week where he met his counterparts,” Khama said.
“I am making this information public so that people know where to look if anything happens to me.”
Khama said he believes his outspoken criticism of what he describes as authoritarian tendencies in several African countries has made him a target.
He singled out Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Amendment No. 3, arguing that it serves the interests of President Mnangagwa rather than the Zimbabwean people.
“Mnangagwa must be warned that he is not a young man. Constitutional Amendment Number 3 is self-seeking. That Constitution was amended for one man. It is not in the interest of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Khama also criticised what he described as a wider trend among African leaders of manipulating electoral systems to prolong their time in office.
“These tricks that Mnangagwa is using are copied from those African countries. The pursuit of power by these leaders is motivated by personal interests. As soon as these leaders come to power, they start rigging elections and harassing the opposition.”
He further claimed that changes introduced under Constitutional Amendment No. 3 would undermine Zimbabweans’ ability to freely choose their president.
“No one is fooled by Mnangagwa’s tricks. The constitutional amendment he made is to guarantee his future election because the MPs who will elect him in Parliament are going to come through a rigged process. The amendment process makes it impossible for people to choose a President of their choice,” Khama alleged.
Khama also claimed that a senior Botswana intelligence official who allegedly met the Zimbabwean operative had previously been involved in attempts on his life dating back to 2019. He said those threats had at one stage forced him to flee to South Africa.
Zimbabwean government officials were unavailable for immediate comment on the allegations.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba and Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Martin Rushwaya did not respond to requests for comment by the Masvingo Mirror, while attempts to reach Central Intelligence Organisation Director-General Paul Chikava were unsuccessful.
Khama has previously taken public positions on political developments in Zimbabwe. During Zimbabwe’s disputed 2008 elections, he offered refuge to the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the opposition leader fled amid fears for his safety.
No evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate Khama’s claims, and Zimbabwean authorities have not publicly responded to the allegations.
