Ian Khama

Seretse Khama Ian Khama (born 27 February , 1953) is a retired military officer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Republic of Botswana from 2008 to 2018. He is the son of Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana (1966 to 1980). Quotes It is totally unacceptable when an African leader, in order to stay in power, will resort to killing his or her own people. When you have a country with millions of people, for any leader to think they are the only ones who can be president is pathetic. Suluhu is illegitimate, says former Botswana President 09 November, 2025 The Africa we dream of - peaceful, prosperous and respected- will only emerge when our governance is guided by our values and not by our interests. Former Botswana President,Ian Khama Declares Tanzania’s President Illegitimate 10 November, 2025 It would not be appropriate to indicate my position with any political party publicly My forgiveness depends on what BDP says -Khama 14 August, 2025 Fast forward to 2018 to the character betrayal, and vindictiveness, this time not by the British but our very own raised its ugly head My father would have been shocked and disgusted at the abandonment of the rule of law, and human rights that we and many other Batswana were subjected to. Khama condems Masisi at fathers’ commemoration day 01 July, 2025 When he looked north, across the Kalahari to this land of brave and dignified people, he saw not a neighbour but a brother He understood the destiny of Botswana was bound to that of Namibia, that our futures like our rivers and deserts flow together Namibia names street after Sir Seretse Khama 10 October, 2025 It was a mistake to choose Masisi as my successor I came here to tell you that I am cutting ties with the BDP as I do not recognise this party anymore Ian Khama formalises his divorce from Botswana’s ruling party 20 May, 2019 The problem with some leaders is that they hide behind the rhetoric of Pan-Africanism while denying their citizens basic democratic rights Khama accuses African leaders of using Pan-Africanism to justify clinging to power 09 November, 2025 I have to fix the mistake I made in appointing Masisi to be my successor Botswana has been a democracy, right from independence, we had a very good reputation for democracy, we were a shining light on the African continent, we were renowned worldwide for our adherence to democracy and then you get this one man who comes in one day and just overturns everything And this is the Botswana version of Donald Trump in Masisi We thought we had built enough foundation that could not be rocked when it came to our democracy, but we have found out that it just takes one man in that position to reverse all the gains that we have made and sweated for many years When I left office, I intended to completely leave politics but here I'm now more involved in politics than even when I was president because I'm determined to make sure this man (Masisi) goes Botswana 2024 polls: 'I have to fix the mistake I made in appointing Masisi' - Khama 13 August, 2024 I don’t think anyone should be President for that amount of time. We are Presidents, we are not monarchs. It’s just common sense Botswana's President Ian Khama asks Mugabe to relinquish power 13 August, 2024 If you've been somewhere for too long, you become complacent and take things for granted The country's economy has been rundown, and people expect the party's manifesto to be applied immediately, but it doesn't work like that. We thought it would be a quantitative change, where the opposition wins but not to this extent. This was a dramatic turn of events. Khama admits fault in shocking election loss 05 November, 2024 Ban the import of hunting trophies Former president of Botswana Ian Khama urges German government to ban the import of hunting trophies 21 June, 2024 I am not sick, stressed or depressed. In fact, I recently had my annual medical check and all was good. The only thing that depresses me is when people who don’t know me say I am depressed I am not depressed – Khama 20 March, 2023 Unlike some who twist the concept of democracy to suit themselves, we have stuck to these principles in that everything we do should be in the interest of our citizens Always starting from a bad situation you can make good Also, there is a dependency syndrome on government since we were once so poor and have done a lot through social interventions. Today many people probably get assistance who should be looking after themselves – this is a trend. The question they have always is “What is government going to do for me? Maybe what we have achieved through diamond revenues has made us complacent. But we have to remember, that diamonds are not forever. Botswana’s President Ian Khama: ‘Diamonds are not forever’ 29 June, 2016 I didn’t enjoy politics, the rough and tumble of political life I am a democrat. I have always believed in democratic ideals and joined the military to defend this democracy. The ruler of Botswana' 23 May,2014 External Links Ian Khama Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Botswana Category:1953 births