Bakgatla paramount chief, Kgafela Kgafela II, has turned in a sworn statement at the Lobatse High Court in which he accuses President Ian Khama and Isaac Kgosi of using the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) to steal public funds.
Kgafela, who is expected to prove his allegations in court, has called both Khama and Kgosi to take the stand.
In a no holds barred affidavit, Kgafela states: “They pretend to protect us, but instead kill other humans gangster style. Kgosi and Khama are not qualified to advise anybody against anything, let alone matters of national security. The entire legislation that allows them to hide information from the public on the basis that our national security interests demand secrecy is the same loophole that they use to abuse fellow countrymen and steal public funds and property,” he said.
In his constitutional application before Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo, Kgafela said Molokomme is a fraud who purports to be the custodian of law and order when, in fact, she is the generator of chaos, and actually impedes the efforts of those who seek to bring about law and order.
“I have been trying to bring about law and order in my territory, with successful results, but was regularly disturbed by the police and the Attorney General over unimportant peripheral issues,” said Kgafela.
He asked Molokomme to explain the motive behind her unofficial interest in the affairs of Bakgatla.
It has emerged that Kgafela and Molokomme met on several occasions, including in January 2009, where he was accompanied by Daniel Kwelagobe, Ray Molomo and senior Bakgala tribesmen.
He described the DIS as “a fraud as best as they come”, saying it cannot claim to protect the national security of Batswana, when the reality is that Batswana never requested it and were never consulted when it was formulated.
“The work of the DIS remains secret to those whom it purports to protect. It has caused more chaos and anxiety within society. The DIS is nothing but a vehicle through which a few steal public money under the secrecy of national security,” said Kgafela.
He said Isaac Kgosi is unfit to head the DIS as he has no idea what national security is all about. He also revealed how he will be able to extract certain concessions from Kgosi to show that he personally has no clue about what he is doing with Batswana’s security needs.
“Kgosi must explain the disaster funds that were consumed by his department. As a guard, Kgosi must know the security needs of his clients, Batswana. It is dangerously presumptuous, and an insult to the intelligence of Batswana for Kgosi and President Ian Khama to assume that they know the security needs of Batswana when they never asked Batswana about them,” said Kgafela.
He said as the custodian of the welfare and security of Bakgatla, he was never consulted about the security needs of his subjects. In fact, he said, the lack of response to the volumes of correspondence that he has written to the police and the Minister of Justice shows that this government does not care to hear what the security needs of Bakgatla are.
He said Khama and Kgosi have no business caring about his national security when they have failed to honour his requests for dialogue. He said Kgosi is a fraud because he purports to unilaterally assume responsibility for national security when he can never guarantee anyone eternal protection against death.
