Anyone learning that former president Ian Khama has two sets of bodyguards (one official, the other not) would naturally be curious about how they work together. However, both Khama himself and the Directorate of the Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) are cagey with the precise details.
In a carefully-worded response, DISS’ Public Relations Director, Edward Robert, said that the Directorate has deployed protective security to former president Khama according to the requirements of the Intelligence and Security Services Act.
“The Directorate is also satisfied that security provided to former president Khama is deployed according to established standards and norms of protective security for VIPs and former presidents,” he added. Likewise, Khama would reveal little more than that the two groups “work well together.”
The official set is that provided by DISS in line with the law but in the past, Khama has complained that the Directorate typically “downgrades” his official security in terms of the number of bodyguards and equipment. By his account, this situation has forced him to “provide for myself with private security.” But there is another issue: trust. Khama has expressed uneasiness with “one or two” of his DISS bodyguards but is keen to stress that he has no problem with most of them. In previous reporting, sources close to him alleged that there is very strong belief within his (Khama’s) circle that the head of his DISS security is conniving with his superiors at the DISS headquarters to undermine Khama’s private security.
While one understands why operational details about the security of a former president have to remain confidential, some other details that have been revealed point to a crisis in the making. The DIS bodyguards are civil servants who take orders from the Director-General and whose conditions of employment are guided by the Public Service Act. The private bodyguards would be taking orders from Khama personally because he is their employer. That Khama had to employ private bodyguards clearly shows that he and the DISS Director-General are not on the same page and heightens the possibility of each issuing conflicting instructions. Lest the point has not been stressed enough, these two sets of bodyguards have to protect the same principal.
Khama himself said something that points to a crisis. According to him, an assassination plot against him was activated a week ago. With precise regard to allegations of this nature, Sunday Standard asked him whether his security is tightened up when he gets intelligence about an assassination plot and whether his DISS bodyguards are taken on board when extra security measures are taken.
“Only private security can tighten up because the DISS are not under my control and anyway, have not shown any interest in the threats for obvious reasons,” the former president responded. The latter statement would seem to negate the earlier one about the two bodyguard groups working well together.
