The ghost of Prof. Kenneth Good haunts Botswana by Godfrey Ganetsang 17-10-2011 Apart from Survival International boss Stephen Corry, Professor Kenneth Good and David Throup are probably two of Botswana’s worst political enemies. They both put Botswana’s democracy under the spotlight, and cast aspersions on Botswana’s international accolade as Africa’s beacon of democracy. Good, a former Political Science lecturer at the University of Botswana, was deported in 2005 after publishing a damning article on Botswanas system of automatic succession to the presidency. David Throup, through the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, also published a report in which he questioned President Ian Khama’s leadership style and predicted that the opposition will take over government in the next general elections. Indications are that the two men will feature prominently, once again against government, when Bakgatla paramount chief Kgafela II launches a monolithic legal battle in which he challenges the legality of the constitution of Botswana. Kgafela has also cited President Ian Khama as a key witness in the case. The issue of automatic succession came to the fore when it emerged that then President Festus Mogae intended to rope in Botswana Defence Force Commander Ian Khama as Vice President to reinvigorate the dwindling fortunes of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party. In his founding affidavit, Kgafela said he will call Good as a witness because he has intimate knowledge of the constitution of Botswana, and he can help him to prove that the said constitution is a fraud. “Professor Good knows many things about the truth of this country and about the fraud I am talking about. He knows the family of President Khama and about Khama himself,” said Kgafela. After his deportation in 2005, Good sought reprieve at the African Union’s Human Rights Commission in Banjul, the Gambia. He won the case in May 2010 when the commission found Botswana guilty of violating the African Charter. Botswana was then ordered to compensate Good for remuneration and benefits lost as a result of his deportation, and pay the legal costs he incurred during litigation in domestic courts and before the African Commission. Botswana was also advised to review her immigration laws. Kgafela said government should not have a problem with allowing Good to enter the country as he has been vindicated by the African Commission ruling. Kgafela will also rely on the recent report that was published by the CSIS, which was commissioned by AFRICOM. “I implore the court to help me secure the recent CSIS report, and see whether Dr. Throup cannot be asked by this court to assist with the important information of his findings,” said Kgafela. He cited Khama as his most important and most valuable witness because he will be required to answer questions about the fraud of the constitution and its system, and his testimony might actually halt the trial in its tracks. He explained that Khama, as the defender of the constitution, can either defend it or concede its surrender at any time. Kgafela said the Presidency under the Botswana constitution is a fraud, right down to the character of the individuals. “That applies to the reign of all other former presidents. President Khama and his office are not what they purport to be,” he said.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 06:05:47 +0000
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