Botswana cracks the whip over alleged SA political meddling

Few countries in Southern Africa were unaffected by the apartheid-era military machine and Botswana was no exception, notes Legalbrief. In 1986, President Quett Masire warned that SA's black neighbours would suffer most if Western countries imposed economic sanctions on SA. That same year, the SA Defence Force attacked African National Congress targets in Botswana and other neighbouring states. Relations between the two countries improved when Nelson Mandela swept into office and representative offices were established in both countries in 1992. The upgrading of relations to full diplomatic level occurred two years later. The countries enjoyed good relations during the Presidencies of Thabo Mbeki and Festus Mogae but they declined during the Presidencies of Jacob Zuma and Ian Khama due to differences over Zimbabwe, AU appointments and Pretoria’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court. And developments over the past week indicate that a possible ‘diplomatic disaster’ is looming over SA's alleged interference in its neighbour's upcoming elections.

Botswana’s political landscape has become increasingly turbulent since the retirement of Khama who led the country for 10 years without any significant opposition candidates. Minister of Foreign Affairs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi is fighting current President Mokgweetsi Masisi in the Botswana Democratic Party’s presidential battle later this year. And SA appears to have entered the fray. Two aircraft owned by controversial SA businessman, Zunaid Moti, were last week impounded at Francistown airport. Moti offered his business jet, a Beechcraft Premier 1, and an Agusta 119 helicopter for campaigning by opposition leader Duma Boko of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). City Press reports that they were both painted in the UDC’s colours and the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (Burs) has impounded them for alleged customs contraventions. The authorities claim that the Lanseria-registered aircraft did not land at an official entry port. Moti’s lawyer, Ulrich Roux, confirmed to City Press that his client had made his aircraft available to Boko’s election campaign from last Sunday to 2 May. However, when the aircraft landed in Francistown on Wednesday, the pilots were informed that the aircraft’s use was being investigated by Burs. The Weekend Argus reports that the authorities intercepted the aircraft because it was allegedly carrying $5.5m to ‘buy votes’ for Venson-Moitoi.

The Sunday Times reports that Roux said the pilots were not aware of new customs regulations in the country – an explanation that was ultimately accepted and the aircraft were allowed to return to SA on Friday. Moti, a controversial business tycoon, was arrested in Germany in 2018 after Russian authorities issued a 'red notice' for him. Roux said, at the time, that the notice was not authorised and vetted by Interpol’s general secretariat. ‘Since August 2017‚ Moti has been the subject of a litany of spurious and fraudulent claims made by a known member of the Russian mafia‚ presently resident in Dubai,’ he added.

Earlier this month, Botswana effectively banned businesswoman Bridgette Radebe, the sister-in-law of SA President Cyril Ramaphosa, from the country due to her support of Venson-Moitoi. Botswana’s Immigration Minister Magang Ngaka published a notice in the Government Gazette declaring that Radebe and her associate, a Sandton businessman known as Malcolm X, will be required to apply for visas to enter Botswana. The notice was published hours before Ramaphosa sent International Relations Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to smooth relations with Masisi. A report on the IoL site notes that police spokesperson Lieutenant Mmuso Tseleng accused Motsepe-Radebe of meddling in the elections. ‘(She) is alleged to have sent money into the Republic of Botswana to lobby votes in the Botswana Democratic Party presidential election. That is illegal, according to our laws. That money was not declared and did not follow the correct international money flows, according to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime.’

Analysts are warning Pretoria of a ‘diplomatic disaster’ if it does not weigh in on the escalating tensions. The Cape Argus reports that Aubrey Matshiqi said it appeared that the Botswana Government had either made the decision against Radebe based on sound evidence of an attempt to interfere in that country in a way that undermined its sovereign rule, or it was acting undemocratically. ‘But when a country takes such measures, the situation lends itself to suspicions. And given Motsepe-Radebe’s proximity to the President, government has to clear the air, ‘Matshiqi said. Another analyst, Ralph Mathekga said the matter lent itself to suspicions that a ‘family cabal’ was interfering in another country’s affairs.