29 Jun 2017

Zimbabwe president, Mr Robert Mugabe said the late Sir Ketumile Masire was his closest ally in SADC and they played a meaningful role in bringing peace to the Southern Africa region.

The two men assumed leadership of their respective countries in 1980 when Sir Ketumile succeeded Sir Seretse Khama as Botswana president and Mr Mugabe became prime minister of Zimbabwe.

Sir Ketumile would rule Botswana for the next 18 years while Mr Mugabe later succeeded Mr Canaan Banana as president of Zimbabwe in 1980 and is still head of state of his country to date.

Speaking in Gaborone a few hours before the funeral of Sir Ketumile who was laid to rest in Kanye on June 29, Mr Mugabe explained that they worked closely together in various missions: “His death is a great loss, not just for Botswana but to us all…Of all my colleagues in SADC president Masire was the closest.

For example we helped (Joaquim) Chissano (former president of Mozambique) and Renamo (a rebel movement) to come to the first agreement that they reached in 1992,” Mr Mugabe explained in an interview.

He said they convinced former president of Kenya Mr Daniel Arap Moi to let Renamo and the government of Mozambique hold discussions in Kenya which paved way for agreement for peace.

“They (Renamo rebels) were in sort of exile but were trying to wag a struggle against Mozambique. So we talked to president Moi and convinced him to let them and Mozambique government hold talks,” Mr Mugabe said.

He further credited Sir Ketumile for playing an important role in the establishment of SADC saying it was because of the late statesman that the headquarters of SADC were housed in Gaborone.

“He was my personal friend and we were very close. We were very free with each other. When we visited it was family to family. I knew his family, he knew mine. And so we were not just brothers we had become very close friends,” Mr Mugabe explained.

The Zimbabwe president said both SADC and the African Union gave Sir Ketumile various tasks as peacemaker after his retirement because of his astute leadership.

Sir Ketumile passed away last week aged 91 after a remarkable political career spanning 18 years as president and 14 as vice president. ENDS