Ian Khama’s well-mannered tone slightly disguises the rage that he feels.

In different interviews that Botswana’s former president has given since 2019, when he started to specific dissatisfaction along with his hand-picked successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, he has mentioned him in damning phrases.

Masisi was once “drunk on power”, Khama instructed the BBC’s Center of attention on Africa programme 5 years in the past.

Since after the 71-year-old has long gone into exile, spoken a few plot to poison him and been charged in Botswana with a number of crimes together with cash laundering and proudly owning unlawful firearms.

Having in the past disregarded the fees as being “fabricated”, terminating age he returned house and gave the impression in courtroom for an preliminary listening to.

The strain between Khama and Masisi is more likely to color the diamond-rich nation’s forthcoming common election – simply 3 weeks away – as the previous president is actively campaigning for an opposition birthday celebration.

At an additional, transient, courtroom look on Tuesday, Khama was once all smiles.

The government at the moment are believed to be taking into consideration if the case will have to progress.

There’s a robust chance that issues will come to a halt as Khama’s co-accused are now not going through the fees. However the courtroom is not going to reconvene till a age later the election.

To the outsider, who may have the overall feeling that Botswana is without doubt one of the continent’s maximum strong democracies with robust establishments, this dispute between the tide and previous presidents might appear unexpected.

The Botswana Democratic Birthday celebration (BDP) has ruled since self government from the United Kingdom in 1966.

In a constituency-based gadget, it has ruled parliament for the terminating 5 a long time although its percentage of the vote in contemporary elections has hovered round 50%.

The rustic’s first president, and Khama’s father, Sir Seretse Khama, was once descended from royalty and helped cement Botswana’s recognition for orderly executive within the 14 years he was once in energy as much as his dying in 1980.

His 1948 marriage to a white British lady, Ruth Williams, was once arguable and resulted in his exile in the United Kingdom.

Ian Khama, the couple’s 2d kid, likened his personal contemporary era in South Africa to that of his father’s length clear of Botswana.

Next having been within the army, he went directly to change into president in 2008, serving for 10 years.

In spite of the dynastic enchantment, the gleam got here off Khama’s executive and within the 2014 election the BDP gained lower than 50% of the vote for the primary era.

Issues about corruption, human rights and the environment of the financial system – with top ranges of unemployment – all dented Khama’s recognition.

Within the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, funded via Sudanese telecoms tycoon Mo Ibrahim, Botswana’s rating dropped right through his length in energy.

The rustic’s profusion diamond reserves have proved profitable and revealed the financial system develop, however no longer enough quantity jobs have been being created for the younger public and the wealth was once no longer being unfold round.

In 2018, Khama passed over the reins of energy to his dependable vice-president, Masisi, most likely hoping that he may nonetheless have some affect, however issues quickly went awry.

One concept is that there was once a gentleman’s contract that Masisi would appoint Khama’s brother, Tshekedi, as vice-president, which he refused to do.

Khama started complaining that his safety attribute was once being scale down and that autonomy inside the BDP was once being undermined.

Masisi additionally reversed some key insurance policies corresponding to a prohibit on trophy looking and ended the scepticism against having nearer family members with China.

A yr later stepping i’m sick as president, Khama after joined the newly shaped opposition Botswana Patriotic Entrance (BPF) telling the BBC on the era that the “democracy that we’ve been proud of in this country is now in decline”.

He after got into self-imposed exile in overdue 2021 alleging that there have been ultimatum to his generation.

Masisi has batted away the complaint and previous this yr described the poisoning allegation as “shocking”.

“If you look at the history of either killings or murders in Botswana and the methods used, poisoning is not one of the ones we know best, but of late he [Khama] seems to be an expert,” Masisi instructed France 24, including that the previous president had not anything to concern.

Masisi additionally mentioned that the arguments Khama has been the use of towards the federal government and his management had been “a litany of inconsistencies”.

There may be completely negative anticipation of reconciliation between the previous allies, and Khama is hoping to finish the 58 years in energy of the BDP – the birthday celebration his father helped discovered.

There are alternatives to whip votes from the federal government as the issues with the shortage of jobs and the accusations of corruption have additionally dogged the tide management.

Moreover, the previous president nonetheless instructions a dozen of admire within the nation, particularly some of the used electorate and in his house branch round Serowe, the place he’s paramount and the place the BPF introduced its manifesto on the weekend.

However Masisi and the BDP stay in a robust place, particularly because the opposition is split.

The 30 October ballot do business in a chance for the Khama dynasty to as soon as once more have an have an effect on at the while of the rustic.