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Former Botswana president Sir Ketumile

GABORONE/SEROWE. – Former Botswana president Sir Ketumile Masire will be buried today.

Meanwhile, former President Festus Mogae has revealed the main reason behind the dates of Sir Ketumile’s midweek State funeral.

In an exclusive interview with The Monitor, Mogae said the family had suggested July 1, which is a Saturday, as the date for the State Funeral, but President Ian Khama told them that he will be unavailable on the date they suggested because he will be away, attending the Race-For-Rhinos event at Makgadikgadi Pans.

Mogae said President Khama made a counter-suggestion of Monday, July 3 (which has been declared a holiday because Sir Seretse Khama Day – July 1 – falls on a weekend), but there was no consensus and Thursday was the compromise date.

Speaking to The Monitor at Swaneng Hill School in Serowe Mogae said, “The family suggested for Saturday. I also assumed it was going to be Saturday, but they came back to me saying the President (Khama) requested for Monday, but they ended up agreeing on Thursday.”

When queried on why President Khama was not happy with Masire State Funeral being on a Saturday, Mogae was unsure where or what exactly his successor will be up to on the suggested Saturday.

He said, “They said he would be at the sands where he plays with motorcycles and wins.” Mogae added: “He (Khama) said he had long invited the international guests from far out and could not miss the event”.

Although Mogae was unsure what this event is that the President could not miss for the world, The Monitor has learnt that Khama will be attending the annual Race-for-Rhinos event scheduled for June 29 to July 2 near Nata at the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Race-for-Rhinos is an exciting international adventure aviation event that sees pilots from around the world racing in the Makgadikgadi Pans skies for over three days. Khama, being an avid aviation fanatic and pilot, has never missed the event and this time even Masire’s death cannot block him from the entertaining airshow spectacle.

Last year, Khama rushed through the Sir Seretse Khama Day commemorations programme at the Serowe Kgotla before dashing to the Makgadikgadi Pans to join his fellow aviation fanatics for the 2016 Race-For-Rhinos display.

Sir Ketumile, who died last Thursday at Bokamoso Hospital aged 92, will be buried at his home village of Kanye, some 90km from the capital Gaborone.

Sir Ketumile was the president of Botswana from 1980 to 1998. Several former heads of state from the SADC regional bloc, including Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Tanzania’s Benjamin Mkapa and Mozambique’s Armando Guebuza had confirmed their attendance.

Other high-level dignitaries from the region confirmed are King Letsie III of Lesotho and former Organisation of African Union (OAU) secretary general Salim Ahmed Salim.

There were several other confirmations from neighbouring countries. Sir Ketumile is widely credited for devising inclusive policies that turned the desert country into one of the economic and political success stories in the continent

He also supported the liberation struggle of Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and led various diplomatic initiatives in Africa, including chairing a panel that investigated the 1994 Rwanda genocide, and co-ordinating the Inter-Congolese National Dialogue.- The Monitor/News24/CAJ News.