BATSWANA TURN ON KHAMA OVER ‘DICTATOR’ TIRADE AGAINST HH
….citizens flood social media to slam former president’s diplomatic breach, accusing him of hypocrisy and reckless meddling in Zambia’s affairs
By DAVID KANDUZA
A WAVE of public backlash has erupted across Botswana and Zambia following former Botswana president Ian Khama’s scathing description of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema as ‘Africa’s newest dictator,’ with the citizens accusing the retired general of diplomatic recklessness and political hypocrisy.
What began as a pointed question from Dr Khama during a sitting of Botswana’s Ntlo ya Dikgosi (House of Chiefs) on October 29, 2026—where he challenged Foreign Affairs Minister Phenyo Butale over Gaborone’s attendance at Mr Hichilema’s September 1, second-term inauguration—had spiralled into a heated cross-border debate.
While Botswana’s government swiftly distanced itself from Dr Khama’s remarks to preserve bilateral ties, readers reacting to ongoing coverage by ALENDO NEWS have delivered a stinging rebuke of their own former leader.
For many commentators, Dr Khama’s public outburst violated the unwritten code of conduct expected of a former head of State and retired military commander.
“As a former head of State and a general for that matter he should have privately advised or expressed his opinion,” wrote Kahuma Seleji, linking Dr Khama’s outspokenness to his past legal and political troubles under former President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
“Those careless utterances in public made him a fugitive in the previous government of president Masisi. The general should learn manners.”
Echoing the call for restraint, Okitlanya Morele pointed out that presidential decorum does not expire at the end of a term. Quoting a popular maxim from the coverage, Morele emphasised that “freedom of speech will never be freedom from responsibility,” adding that Dr Khama “overstepped the demands or dictates of protocol as ‘Former Head of State’ he signed to abide by it while in presidency office and this remains in force throughout his remaining days of living.”
Colin Makala was equally blunt, arguing that a former leader cannot treat regional diplomacy like personal political theatre.
“Calling a sitting president a dictator is a serious accusation that demands evidence, not political theatrics,” Makala wrote: “Botswana was right to distance itself from those remarks. Regional diplomacy requires maturity, mutual respect and institutional responsibility. Dr Khama may have the freedom to speak, but he should not expect his country to clean up every diplomatic mess his personal outbursts create.”
Several Batswana also accused Khama of double standards, contrasting his vocal criticism of Mr Hichilema with his own record in office between 2008 and 2018.
“Don’t you remember what he did to attract attention and also to stir hornets’ nests?” asked Mostisi Ramasedi, recalling Dr Khama’s controversial past engagement with the Dalai Lama that strained Gaborone’s ties with Beijing. “He is at it again. A very selfish man indeed. During his reign he would not allow anybody to put his government on the spotlight. Look now what he is doing. Hypocrisy at its best.”
Jubile Bosenakisto questioned the basis of Dr Khama’s allegations of authoritarianism in Lusaka. “I don’t understand why SKI (Seretse Khama Ian) doesn’t like peace. He will never stop causing trouble in other people’s affairs,” Bosenakisto wrote. “I don’t even know where he sees dictatorship in Zambia as we have only experienced it during his time as a president in our nation.”
Meanwhile, others rallied behind Dr Butale’s diplomatic damage control, even as some Zambian observers demanded higher-level engagement from Gaborone.
Buti Tsalaila thankede minister for defending neighbourly relations, noting that “for cordial relations and continued friendly relations with our neighbours our leaders ought to mind their language.”
However, Akanuke Noyoo argued that ministerial reassurances fell short of diplomatic protocol after an attack on a sitting head of State.
“Our head of State has been attacked by a retired head of state of Botswana. We want to hear directly from a Botswana head of State and not from a foreign affairs (minister), who is not equivalent to our aggrieved head of State tate,” Noyoo wrote, asking where Botswana’s President Duma Boko was to address Lusaka directly.
Cutting through the heated exchanges, Lebone Ricardo had a simple message for those claiming to speak on behalf of Batswana while meddling across the Zambezi: “Who’s WE? Stop lying about Batswana and stay away from Zambian issues.”
Despite the domestic pushback and calls from Zambian officials to substantiate his claims of political persecution, Dr Khama had remained defiant, telling media outlets he would not apologise for his remarks.