The Botswana Defence Force wrote a letter to congratulate Sergeant Dzikamani Mothobi, Lance Corporal Gotshosamamg Sechele, Lance Corporal Ronny Motako and Corporal Boitshoko Maifala for killing John Kalafatis two days after the extra judicial execution. Investigations reveal that the then BDF Commander Tebogo Masire may have been dishonest when during an interview with Sunday Standard, distanced himself from the shooting, explaining that the army officers were attached to the Botswana Police Service at the time of the incident.
The former BDF commander told Sunday Standard at the time that once the officers are attached to Botswana Police, the BDF is not informed about their assignments. Sunday Standard has turned up a letter written by Colonel E. Emamg Provost Marshal, addressed to Corporal Maifala and his team congratulating them for their conduct.
The letter dates 15th May 2009 states: ‘This letter serves to express my gratitude to you for displaying unreserved patriotism and bravery during a confrontation with a hardened criminal on 13 May 2009. Although it is regrettable that a life was lost during the incident, it was nevertheless inevitable and in your line of duty. The exhibition of such spirit is highly commendable and is in line with the BDF mission of providing a safe and secure environment. You have shown to be dependable and trustworthy soldiers.”
Nine days after the letter was written, the former BDF commander claimed he did not have the details of the assignment. Sources inside the BDF told Sunday Standard that five years after the incident, both BDF and the Directorate of intelligence and Security services see Mothobi, Mothako, Maifala and Sechele as a liability and are looking for means to get rid of them. The quartet on the other hand is understood to be hard done bye after being left out in the cold despite promises that they would be grafter into the DIS. The four BDF soldiers had agreed to take the fall for Kalafatis murder and even hid information from the court that DISS Director General, Isaac Kgosi was first at the crime scene after the shooting.
Mothobi, who was leading the BDF team assigned to arrest Kalafatis was recently the subject of what was believed to be trumped up charges by the army command who held him partly responsible for the missing BDF spy equipment. When the case against Mothobi and Magosi bombed, there was then an attempt to move Mothobi to the BDF anti-poaching unit where insiders say it would be easy to eliminate him.
