The petulant Ian Khama resigned from the political party his father co-founded, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), because his successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, refused to play second fiddle and act as "regent" for Khama.

Khama has now given support to the opposition, aligning himself with the newly established Botswana Patriotic Front.

Masisi's father was also a founding member of the BDP. Khama, who was a bad and corrupt leader, is using the ethnic card to undermine Masisi. He behaves as if Botswana belongs to Bangwato and it's his personal fiefdom. The other members of Batswana royalty played a bigger role in the establishment of Botswana as an independent state while Khama's father, Seretse Khama, was in exile.

Khama's antics are no surprise; he is not known to be a brilliant person. He was sent with the son of one of the first ministers BC Thema, Matlhomola Thema, to military colleges abroad. When they went to study abroad, Matlhomola already had a BA degree from Roma in Lesotho and excelled in his studies while Khama failed.

When they returned home, his father made him commander of the Botswana Defence Force, making Thema his subordinate. Thema would have none of it and resigned.

When former president Festus Mogae brought Ian Khama from the military to succeed him, he wrongly thought Khama would help stem the tide of factionalism within the ruling BDP. Wasn't he wrong! People like Mogae fail to learn from history and those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Masisi must rein Ian Khama in. Botswana is not a Khama dynasty.

Sam Ditshego,Kagiso