Former President Lt Gen Ian Khama will be among the biggest losers following the axing of former Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services Director General Isaac kgosi ÔÇô Sunday Standard investigations have revealed.
A few weeks before his expulsion, the former DIS boss beefed up former President Lt Gen Ian Khama’s security detail against President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s will.
A low key struggle has erupted between President Masisi and his predecessor about Khama’s security detail. Shortly before his retirement, President Khama promoted members of his security detail and recruited them to provide his retirement security.
The BDF commander, Lt Gen Placid Segokgo however recalled some of the members of Khama’s security detail allegedly at the urging of President Masisi. It is understood that President Masisi asserted that Khama’s security detail should be the size of former President Mogae and the late Sir Ketumile Masire.
Unconfirmed reports state that Khama then appealed to Kgosi to provide him with more security. The Sunday Standard can however confirm that Kgosi, who maintained that he was not accountable to anyone, not even the president, then dispatched 20 DIS officers to beef up Khama’s security.
Now that Kgosi has been displaced by Brigadier Peter Magosi, the new DIS boss is expected to recall the DIS officers from Khama’s security detail.
Brigadier Magosi has been unemployed after Khama two years ago forced him into early retirement as Botswana Defence Force Chief of Staff and Commander of Ground Forces. Magosi’s expulsion had been hatched two years earlier but had to be put on hold when Khama and former BDF commander Lt Gen Gaolathe Galebotswe secret plan bombed.
Brigadier Magosi’s forced retirement was the highest watermark in the long running battle inside former President Khama’s inner circle with included axed DIS Director General Isaac Kgosi, Minister Eric Molale, former BDF Commander Lt Gen Galebotswe and the president’s twin brothers Tshekedi and Anthony Khama.
Magosi who for a long time was part of President Khama’s inner circle had the backing of Minister of Wildlife and Tourism Tshekedi Khama and his twin brother Anthony. Brigadier Magosi however switched camps after his forced retirement and threw his weight behind President Masisi, who was then vice president.
