The newly recruited Botswana Congress Party (BCP) member Kenny Kapinga says the criminal behaviour of listening to people’s private communication on cell phones by security agents must be brought to an end.
Kapinga who joined BCP on Monday is a former Botswana ambassador to Zimbabwe as well as former Botswana Police Service Deputy Commissioner Operations. He is also a lawyer by profession.
He says Botswana does not belong to any individuals but Batswana.
“What I want to say today is that this country is ours; this country has laws that govern even the security agencies to act within a certain framework of laws. Security agencies should respect the laws and abide just like any other citizen and anyone who is resident of this country,” he said.
He added that no one has the right to listen to anybody’s private communication unless there are good reasons to suspect that one is engaged in crimes or one is posing a risk to national security.
“The reason why there is fear in this country is because the people do not know this; they do not know that there is nobody who has the right to oppress us in our country. There is no one who has the right to do anything onto us that is against the law,” he said.
He said Batswana should stand up and say no to all this oppression and show that its not acceptable, nobody can cause them to live in fear.
“If you are talking to anybody through cell phones, your communication is in no way posing a risk to national security, nobody has the right to listen to your private communication. There are circumstances under which your phone conversations can be listened to and they are discussed in the law. They are only there to assist security agencies in the investigations of crimes,” said Kapinga.
He said talking about party politics does not pose any risk to national security because political parties exist in the constitution of Botswana. He emphasized that political parties exist lawfully and nobody has any right to listen to anybody’s private communication.
“That criminal behaviour must be brought to an end,” said Kapinga.
Kapinga also talked about how he rejected the ruling Botswana Democratic Party while he was still a police officer as Deputy Commissioner Operations. He said people came to him telling him that the reason why there is some kind of shadow around him was because he hasn’t taken the BDP membership card.
“People said if I had the party card my road to the Commissioner of the police would be wide open. If I was easily enticed I would have taken that card so that I became the commissioner of the police. Where I stand right now there is nothing that can entice me to join the ruling Botswana Democratic Party,” he said.
Kapinga also rejected the ruling party prior the 2014 general elections when they wanted him to contest for the Okavango constituency. He said now because he is no longer in full occupation he is ready to take any assignment under BCP ticket. He said the people of Okavango will decide whether he will contest for the general elections in 2019 or not.
“When I went around touring the Okavango constituency I told the people that I am no longer in full occupation and I am available for them to give me any task or assignment that they may find suitable to assign me; whether I will be contesting for the 2019 general elections or not is within the power of the people of Okavango as electorates, I am available for anything that might be given to me,” he said.
