Harare, Zimbabwe — Former Botswana President Ian Khama has delivered a blistering critique of Zimbabwe’s leadership, accusing it of perpetuating the same oppressive systems that characterized the country during the Rhodesian era.
Speaking as keynote guest at the launch of opposition leader Job Sikhala’s memoir, Footprints in the Chains The Life Story of Job Sikhala, Khama described Zimbabwe as a country ruined by “corruption, greed, intolerance and abuse.”
Khama, a respected statesman and outspoken critic of authoritarianism in southern Africa, said the promise of liberation had been betrayed by successive governments since independence in 1980.
In his speech, he said “The only thing that changed was the name of the country and that of its leaders everything remained the same,”.
Khama’s remarks were made in solidarity with Job Sikhala, a prominent opposition politician and human rights lawyer, who spent more than 500 days in pretrial detention for politically motivated charges.
His memoir documents his journey through political activism, state persecution, and incarceration under the ruling ZANU-PF government.
Ian Khama served as President of Botswana from 2008 to 2018 and is the son of Seretse Khama, Botswana’s founding father and first post-independence president. Known for his strong anti-corruption stance, democratic values, and regional diplomacy, Ian Khama has earned a reputation as one of southern Africa’s most principled former heads of state.
While in office, Khama led Botswana to maintain stable governance, economic growth, and press freedom, distinguishing the country as a beacon of democracy in the region. Since leaving power, he has become more vocal in regional affairs, particularly in condemning authoritarian regimes.
At the book launch, Khama described Zimbabwe as a nation still captured by a self-serving elite, stating that the cycle of repression that Zimbabweans fought to end under colonial rule has not only persisted but, in many ways, intensified.
