Hooray!!!!Finally there is something positive coming out of the Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS). For some of us who have always been skeptical about the operations of the DIS, it was pleasing to hear from the DIS boss, Isaac Kgosi, explaining some of the mandate of his organization. For a long time, we have always complained about the secrecy that shrouds the operations of the DIS. We never really understood in whose interests was the DIS established. We have never really treated it as national organization. To many, the organization existed to serve the President’s personal and political interests. To make matters worse, the DIS never really came out to convince us that the organization was a ‘necessary evil’ for the nation. You would ask them how much they spend on their stationery and they would not give an answer, citing ‘security reasons’. I mean really, I still don’t understand how that compromises national security or how it hampers the operations of the DIS. The DIS was not even willing to share their achievements and milestones with the public, something which fuelled a lot of doubt on their capabilities and relevance. We were worried that the DIS seemed to exist only to terrorize the citizenry through spying on their daily conversations and arresting petty thieves who break into tuck shops. Look, we never ever asked the DIS to take us through the nitty-gritty of their operations. We may not be enrolled in the DIS but we are intelligent enough to know what constitutes national security breach. Sharing with the nations on what they have achieved does not make it into the list of security threats.
Now media reports inform us that the DIS Director General, Isaac Kgosi, recently appeared before some parliamentary committee and poured his heart out on some of the frustrations he faces in his line of duty, at the hands of government officials who ignore his advice. We thank Kgosi for shedding some light on some of his organization’s mandate, which, as it turns out; include carrying out back ground checks on contractors before they are engaged by government. Thanks, in part, to our lazy government officials who have frustrated Kgosi to a point where he couldn’t help but slam them in public. They have helped in making him open up on this very important and commendable job that he is doing, albeit with no benefit to the nation, all because of government officials. It is disheartening to learn that the current power crisis engulfing our country would not be happening had government officials heeded Kgosi’s advice. According to Kgosi, he had long warned government officials against engaging the Chinese contractor who has now left the whole country engulfed in total darkness, despite the billions of Pula spent on acquiring electricity for the country.
It makes a lot of sense and it is highly commendable of the DIS to be involved in the screening of contractors that want to enter into big business transactions with government. It is only disturbing that despite the screening and advice provided for by the DIS on those contractors, government officials ignore such valuable advice with impunity. Kgosi’s frustrations are comprehendible. Like most of us who are patriotic and love our country, it must be agonizingly frustrating for Kgosi to experience all this power load shedding when he knows very well that it could have been avoided had some unpatriotic fools listened and heeded his advice. As a nation, we need to stand by the DIS when their good deeds are shredded by selfish public servants who have no shame in looting their country through the awarding of big tenders to unscrupulous businessman.
We must commend Kgosi for coming out in the open and revealing that he has refused to bend the rules to suit the wishes of some influential businessmen who always want to twist him into vetting , unlawfully, their friends when it comes to work the issuance of work and residence permits. It is really a sigh of fresh air to learn that the DIS’s mandate of safeguarding our national security covers the economic aspect of the country. It worries me that government officials can stick out the middle finger to someone of Kgosi’s stature. Kgosi is the country’s chief spy and he is someone who is, or was, very close to the president. For government officials to frustrate such an important person and close associate of the president as Kgosi, something must be wrong. Something is not wrong with Kgosi though. Accusing fingers must point in the direction of President Khama.
Kgosi is not the first ‘whistle blower’ to be ignored by public servants resulting in government losing buckets of money over big projects that never become successful. It is because Khama has adopted an ‘I don’t care’ attitude towards officials who waste and loot government coffers that we now see a trend where government officials engage mafias on government projects. It has happened with the Botswana Meat Commission where the minister and his permanent secretaries ignored advice from experts, resulting in the current sorry state of the national meat company. It has happened at the Botswana Development Corporation where officials ignored warnings and advice to not partner with those Chinese who it only turned out after millions of Pula had been deposited into their accounts that they know zilch about glass production. In all these instances where officials ignored expert advice, resulting in government losing money for no valuable returns, no official has ever been shown the door. As Kgosi has already said, he can only offer advice but, unfortunately, he can only go as far. It is for Khama to crack if at all he wants u to believe he is as patriotic as he always wants to portray himself in public. Well done Kgosi, you played your part.
