Owayengumongameli wakwele Botswana, uMnunzana Ian Khama uphindele elizweni lakhe namuhla lokhe wabaleka wayahlala kwele South Africa ngomnyaka ka 2021 ekhala ngokuthi uhlukuluzwa ngowamkhetha ukuthi athathe isikhundla sakhe uMongameli Mokgweetsi Masisi.
UKhama umiswe emthethwandaba eGaborone lapho acele ukuba kwesulwe isinqumo sokuthi abotshwe engaphenduka kwele Botswana. Umthethwandaba uvumelane loKhama, yena osezaphenduka emthethwandaba mhla ziku 23 Mpandula, ukuzothoniswa amacala agoqela elokutholakala elezikhali ezazingekho emthethweni lobukhohlakalo.
UKhama uyakuphika konke lokhu, esithi yimsebenzi kaMasisi ozama ukumdlisa luklubhu, okwamenza watshiya ibandla elibusayo wabumba elakhe iBotswana Patriotic Front kumbe iBPF.
Umabhalani jikelele we BPF, uMnunzana Lawrence Ookeditse, uthi ukuphenduka kuka Khama kutsho ukuthi umkhankaso wabo wokhetho oluzaqhutshwa kunyanga ezayo uzakuba lamadlabuzani.
“Njengebandla sihlala sisitsho njalo laye uKhama watsho ukuthi sizakwenza izimanga kukhetho oluzayo. Usebuyile ukuzakhankasela ukhetho.”
Ukuphenduka kuka Khama engalindelwe kutshiye inengi, okugoqela abeZimbabwe abahlala kweleBotswana, bebambe owangaphansi.
UMnunzana Cosmos Sibanda uthi ukuphenduka kuka Khama kuntshintsha isimo ngokhetho lwenyanga ezayo.
“Ukuphenduka kwakhe ngibona kuzanceda ikakhulu ekunticisaneni kukhetho oluzayo, ibandla elibusayo lalo kumele libophe ziqine, noma nje ngibona kuzakuba lokungezwani ngokuphenduka kwakhe.”
UMnunzana Ntokozo Thebe odabuka eZimbabwe ohlala eGaborone uthi khathesi amehlo wonke azaba phezu kuka Khama ngesikhathi sokukhankasela ukhetho oluzayo.
“Inkinga engibona izabakhona yikuthi kuzasuka kuphambanise amabandla aphikisayo. Abantu sebezafaka amehlo abo kuKhama, bengasadonsi ndawonye.”
Ocubungula ezombusazwe, uMnunzana Zenzo Moyo uthi kulezizatho ezingabe zenze uKhama ukuthi aphindele ekhaya.
“Uma ungumuntu omdala kuyafika ukuthi ufise ukuthi ubuyele elizweni lakho lokuzalwa, ngibona ukuthi uKhama sekufikile ukuthi azimisele angabi lendaba lokungenzeka.”
Uthi okwesibili njalo okungabe kuyiso isizatho esisemqoka, yikuthi uKhama ubefuna ukufika ngesikhathi kulungiselelwa ukhetho ukuze azo ncedisa ibandla lakhe leBPF.
"Engicabanga ukuthi kusemqoka njengamanje lukhetho oluzayo ekupheleni kukaMfumfu eBotswana okungabe kuyikho okumkhange ukuthi ahambe ayefika kulesikhathi. Noma engahanjiswa emthethwandaba, ubona ukuthi ayekhankasela ibandla lakhe.”
Noma nje uKhama kunguye owakhetha uMasisi ukuthi athathe isikhundla sikamongameli komnyaka ka 2018, ababili laba sebengumangoye lenja.
Kodwa akucaci ukuthi balwelani. UMasisi esikhathini esedluleyo, uke wathi uKhama wayefuna ukuthi ngemva kwesikhathi kufakwe umfowabo esikhundleni sikamongameli, yena asetshenziswe njengesiphamaso.