Seasoned journalists in news rooms all over are sceptical of what in our craft we call a walk in.
A walk in is someone who approaches a journalist ostensibly wielding information he/she deems beneficial and newsworthy.
In most cases when the veracity of the information is evaluated, often indications are that the person has an axe to grind or wants to use a journalist to manipulate facts to advance a particular view, which could be their own.
More often than not, walk ins have the habit of disseminating their “story” to as many media houses as possible for the obvious reason of maximizing publicity just like politicians.
By the same measure, the world is experiencing a proliferation of people who claim to be prophets, fortune tellers and some predicting doom. As recently as May, we were told the end of the world would be upon us on May 21 – Judgement day. How many actually believed that?
When Joseph Tshabangu paid a visit to The Telegraph to give his walk in interview, it was difficult to conclude if he qualifies for any of the above descriptions.  Tshabangu had sat patiently by our reception for two hours before our arrival. We could have easily rubbished his story as that of someone who is mentally unstable. Nevertheless we gave him the benefit of doubt. Why should we be judgmental?
He was calm. He didn’t sound or look like he had just been discharged from a mental rehabilitation institution as he narrated his unbelievable story that God has asked him to warn President Ian Khama to command one police officer to make a confession or risk facing civil unrest of monumental proportions which would see the end of his rule.
“A confession for what?” I ask him. “A confession for killing a person,” Tshabangu offered ┬áfirmly, giving us the impression that what we were about to hear from him comes from someone pretty much aware that he may not use God’s name in vain or blemish that of the President.
His lengthy reply took the form that the Word has asked him whom he feared between God and the President. He said he replied that I feared God.  He was then instructed by the Word to tell the President to command a member of his disciplined forces to confess to the nation. According to his narrative, President Ian Khama in the company of the Commissioner of Police and three other police officers killed a man at a secluded area in the vicinity of a towering outcrop. He remembers the date as 25 June 2009. He then pulls out a brown envelope.
Contained therein are some correspondence between himself and the Office of the President. He wrote to the highest office in the land requesting a meeting with Khama in September 2009.┬á The President’s private office wrote back telling him that the President was unavailable to meet him due to other pressing engagements.
Tshabangu insists Khama has to be given the message that each government exists because of God’s will, adding that the indifference he is getting from Khama’s office is not going to be helpful in the near future.
He also makes a claim that God showed him on May 21 this year popular uprisings against governments.
“The unrest seen in many countries is the result of the harm that repressive regimes have visited upon their own people. Botswana is unlikely to escape its own uprising. Those who govern must not try to suppress the uprising as more people would die,” warns Tshabangu.
The man of also makes another claim that God was on the side of the civil service strikers but he is quick to say that the strike may resume shortly. “The workers are on a spiritual war. God has told me that he will give them power,” says Tshabangu.
The fortune teller also says he visited the Headquarters of the Zion Christian Church in South Africa where he wanted to meet with Bishop Lekganyane and give him the same message.
Then he goes on to talk about the many instances that the Word visited him.
“In 1979 the Word told me that Blantyre will be replaced by Lilongwe as the capital city of Malawi. In 1978 God told me that Khama was going to be the President of this country. In 1974 the Word told me about Idi Amini’s downfall,” he says.
He also says he was once arrested in 1977 in Rhodesia along with his brother Stanley and two Zimbabweans on suspicion that they were terrorists as they travelled from Bulawayo to Botswana. He says as they spent a night in detention, he had a dream that they would be discharged the following day.
“The Word told me I would not spend another night in detention. The following day I asked the inmates we found there how long it takes for one to be tried. One man said he had spent six months without trial. I told him I was not going to spend the next night with them. He said I was dreaming,” says Tshabangu.
According to him, they were interrogated by the police before they were taken to a white police Commissioner and charged with terrorism.
“Our handlers said we were dangerous and trained in guerrilla warfare. The white man asked me if I knew the charge. I said yes. He asked me if I knew the charge for such an offence carries a life or death sentence. I said I had no problem. He then said he saw no terrorist in me or any of my company but warned us not to visit a country where there was civil war. We were discharged the same day,” claims Tshabangu.
His parting shot was that no one can stop the will of God. “God is bringing justice to the oppressed peoples of this world. No President or King can stop that from happening. Botswana’s popular uprising will happen at its own time. No one can stop that,” he says.
