There is a sense of disbelief in Botswana this morning following the death of former president Sir Ketumile Quett Masire who passed away after a week in hospital.
According to a source based in Botswana, Masire's death has not been officially announced by the government but when news leaked around 10pm last night that he had passed away, it spread like wildfire on social media.
Information is that the government announced last week Friday that Masire had been admitted into Bokamoso Private Hospital in Gaborone for an operation. However, it was not disclosed why he was undergoing the operation.
According to the source, who's a journalist, no one was very worried about this as there had not been any news of him not being well and everyone just assumed it was not anything big.
"Then out of nowhere we heard that he was in ICU. Everyone was shocked and around 10pm last night I got information that he was dead. I could not believe it because I spoke to him only last month when I interviewed him on the Electronic Voting Machines that Botswana wanted to introduce because he had issued a statement on that. I had called and spoken to him and he was fine."
Masire, who was born on July 23 1923, became president of Botswana five days after the death of Seretse Khama in 1980. He was president until 1998 and was succeeded by Festus Mogae. His wife, Gloria Olebile Masire died in Milpark Hospital, Johannesburg in 2013.
Masire leaves behind six children one of whom is Mmasekgowa Masire-Mwamba, former deputy secretary general for the Commonwealth.