All oversight bodies on DIS rendered dead
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Investigations carried by this publication on the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service have unearthed the controversial dealings within the DIS and it’s Director General Peter Fana Magosi.
Reliable information reaching Weekend post indicates that prior to Magosi retaining his seat in Magosi has disabled the intelligence oversight structures that are provide by the Intelligence and Security Security Act. The Intelligence Act in its nature provides for the establishment of the Central Intelligence Committee, National Intelligence Community, Intelligence and Security Council, the Tribunal and the Parliamentary committee on Intelligence and Security.
Right-hand sources with the intelligence have made this publication aware that ever since taking over by Magosi, the above mentioned committees have never been in operation without any reasonable explanation as to why. “If these committees existed and effective the DIS would not be characterized by so many complaints and litigations because there would be guidance on the proper way of doing things.”
By virtue, the Act provides for the establishment of the Central Intelligence Committee which is chaired by the President. The functions of these committee, are amongst others, to guide the DIS on all matters relating to national security and intelligence matters as well as to approve intelligence and security assessments. According to information gathered by this publication, the last meeting of this Committee was in 2018. President Mokgweetsi Masisi was part of the committee during Former President Seretse Khama Ian Khama tenure.
Sources within the DIS elucidated that the Committee ought to have been guided by the DIS on the alleged threat assessment that resulted in the deployment of the resources of Former President Khama. On the 11th February 2020, the DIS released a press statement that they have conducted a security threat assessment of all VIPs and this assessment resulted in the deployment of resources from President Khama’s office.
Allegedly the threat assessment of all VIPs including the former Presidents ought to have been deliberated in this Committee because some members of the Committee, the Commissioner of Police and Commander of the Botswana Defense Force are important stakeholders on this issue. “Magosi made some very crucial decisions without consulting anyone within the committee. He only shared information to the President.” Further revelations point out that the threat assessment never existed as it had been claimed. “The Committee has never convened and deliberated on the reported threat assessment that is claimed to have resulted in the protection of some government officials by the DIS.
BEHIND ELECTION MACHINE PURCHASED BY DIS
Investigations carried by this publication indicate that the decision by Magosi to purchase some equipment, a machine that was to be procured from a Switzerland based company was solely the DG’s decision. The Committee was not aware of the alleged threat assessment that informed by the DG that the IEC data base for the 2019 general election was being manipulated.
Last year the DG was quoted as having said that the IEC data base was being targeted hence the need to procure some equipment from Switzerland. Although the Act provides that this Committee must guide the DIS on all matter relating to security and intelligence interests as well as approving intelligence and security assessments, Magosi decided to make a public statement on the IEC database without including the Committee on the alleged threat assessments.
“There was never any threat assessment conducted that informed the DIS that the IEC data was being targeted. The committee was never briefed about the gathered intelligence that there were plans to manipulate the IEC data for the 2019 general election,” revealed the source. The DIS Act provides for the National Intelligence Community and the functions of this Community are to, amongst others, review and coordinate intelligence. In terms of the Act, this Committee is chaired by the DG of the DIS and it consist of heads of law enforcement agencies that deal with intelligence.
THE MULTIPLE RAIDS IN 2019
Conferring to sources close to this Committee, although the Committee’s responsibility is to review and coordinate intelligence, the Committee was never involved in the decision that resulted in the raids of some companies early 2019. Last year was welcomed with simultaneous raids conducted by the DIS and Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes invade high profiled persons and companies, in an initiative by the President to clean up and help promote a zero corrupt nation.
Former Spy Chief Isaac Kgosi was amongst those who were raided together with other allies who were alleged to have been involved in corruption dealings. Other associates linked to the Former President Khama were also raided. Information reaching this publication further claims that the Committee is not aware of the plot to assassinate the President. Since his arrival at the DIS, Magosi has been making prerogatives that there are plots to assassinate the President but, “this was never shared with the Committee nor the Commissioner of Police and the Commander of the BDF who are important stakeholders in the protection of the President” revealed the source.
The Intelligence Act further inaugurates the Intelligence and Security Council that should consist of the PSP, Attorney General, DG and Deputy DG. The functions of this Council are to, amongst others, review intelligence policies and activities and examine the expenditure and administration of the DIS. Just like the other committees above sources within the intelligence have revealed that this Council has never met since the arrival of Magosi.
“Even though the Council is responsible to examine expenditure of the DIS, the Council is not aware of any major DIS operations that could have contributed to the depletion of the operational funds since November 2019. The Council is not aware of any approval for the use of the operational funds to buy cattle feeds, farms, and suits in Angola and other clothing in Molepolole,” revealed the source.
The Council is also responsible for the administration of the DIS but it is purportedly not aware that a decision was taken to transfer every officer who worked for the DIS during the tenure of Kgosi. Magosi is assumed to have transferred some senior officials within the DIS such as the Director of Finance, the Director Legal and the HR Director because they worked under Kgosi’s occupancy. According to our sources, these directors were transferred because they were against the misappropriation of operational funds and the employment of friends and relatives.
The DIS Act auxiliary provides for the establishment of a Tribunal to be appointed by the President. According to sources, the last Tribunal was appointed by the former President Khama and almost all the members of this Tribunal have resigned. This is supposedly despite the fact that the legislature in their wisdom established the Tribunal to assist members of the public who may have been aggrieved by the DIS operatives. It is held that there are so many complaints against the DIS from the public as well as members of the DIS but these complaints cannot be attended to because there is no Tribunal.
Just like the other oversite structures within the DIS, the Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security that is provided by the Act is none existent since 2018. The functions of this Committee are to, amongst others, examine the expenditure and administration of the DIS. According to a source in the intelligence community as well as some lawyers who are familiar with the Intelligence and Security Service Act, it is a statutory requirement that these committees are established and that they are functional. It is not optional that these committee must be established.
There are reports on allegations that Magosi is deliberately disregarding the establishment of these committees because he does not want to account to anyone. In terms of the Act, some members of these committees such as the Parliamentary Committee and the Tribunal are appointed by the President and, it is not clear on why the President has not yet appointed anyone within these committees.
It is also sketchy on why the Central Intelligence Committee is dysfunctional. The lack of any functional committee within the DIS raises an eyebrow on how decisions and daily operations of the intelligence unit are conducted. Intelligence experts have deduced that these committees are important so that decisions made on national security are not central to one person of body.
There are reports that because of his inclination to misappropriate operational funds, employment of his friends and relatives as well as abuse of office, Magosi prefers to be the one deciding who to employ and who to promote. According to sources close to the DIS, he always justifies the absence of the committees by saying that His Excellency the President does not trust people from the previous administration who, by virtue of their positions are members of some of these committees.
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ENVIRONMENT ISSUES: Masisi asks Virginia for help
President Mokgweetsi Masisi says the issue of sustainable natural resources management has always been an important part of Botswana’s national development agenda.
Masisi was speaking this week on the occasion of a public lecture at Virginia Polytechnic, under theme, “Merging Conservation, Democracy and Sustainable Development in Botswana.”
Botswana, according to Masisi, holds the view that the environment is fragile and as such, must be managed and given the utmost protection to enable the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It is necessary that we engage one another in the interchange of ideas, perspectives, visualizations of social futures, and considerations of possible strategies and courses of action for sustainable development,” said Masisi.
On the other hand, dialogue, in the form of rigorous democratic discourse among stakeholders presents another basis for reconfiguring how people act on their environments, with a view to conserving its resources that “we require to meet our socio-economic development needs on a sustainable basis,” Masisi told attendees at the public lecture.
He said government has a keen interest in understanding the epidemiology and ecology of diseases of both domestic and wild animals. “It is our national interest to forestall the dire consequences of animal diseases on our communities livelihoods.”
President Masisi hoped that both Botswana and Virginia could help each other in curbing contagious diseases of wildlife.
“We believe that Virginia Tech can reasonably share their experiences, research insights and advances in veterinary sciences and medicines, to help us build capacity for knowledge creation and improve efforts of managing and containing contagious diseases of wildlife. The ground is fertile for entering into such a mutually beneficial partnership.”
When explaining environmental issues further, Masisi said efforts of conservation and sustainable development might at times be hampered by the emergence and recurrence of diseases when pathogens mutate and take host of more than one species.
“Water pollution also kills aquatic life, such as fish, which is one of humanity’s much deserved sources of food. In this regard, One Health Approach imposes ecological responsibility upon all of us to care for the environment and the bio-diversity therein.”
He said the production and use of animal vaccines is an important space and tool for conservation, particularly to deal with trans-border animal diseases.
“In Botswana, our 43-year-old national premier pharmaceutical institution called Botswana Vaccine Institute has played its role well. Through its successful production of highly efficacious Foot and Mouth vaccines, the country is able to contain this disease as well as supply vaccines to other countries in the sub-region.:
He has however declared that there is need for more help, saying “We need more capacitation to deal with and contain other types of microbial that affect both animals and human health.”
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Masisi saddened by deaths of elephant attacks
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has expressed a strong worry over elephants killing people in Botswana. When speaking in Virginia this week, Masisi said it is unfortunate that Batswana have paid a price with their own blood through being attacked by elephants.
“Communities also suffer unimaginable economic losses yearly when their crops are eaten by the elephants. In spite of such incidents of human-elephant conflict, our people embrace living together with the animals. They fully understand wildlife conservation and its economic benefits in tourism.”
In 2018, Nthobogang Samokwase’s father was attacked by an elephant when travelling from the fields, where he stayed during the cropping season.
It was reported that the man couldn’t run because of his age. He was found trampled by the elephant and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
In the same year, in Maun, a 57-year-old British woman was attacked by an elephant at Boro and died upon arrival at the hospital. The woman was with her Motswana partner, and were walking dogs in the evening.
Last month, a Durban woman named Carly Marshall survived an elephant attack while on holiday in the bush in Botswana. She was stabbed by one of the elephant’s tucks through the chest and was left with bruises. Marshall also suffered several fractured ribs from the ordeal.
President Masisi Botswana has the largest population of African elephants in the world, totaling more than 130 000. “This has been possible due to progressive conservation policies, partnerships with the communities, and investment in wildlife management programmes.”
In order to benefit further from wildlife, Masisi indicated that government has re-introduced controlled hunting in 2019 after a four-year pause. “The re-introduction of hunting was done in an open, transparent and democratic way, giving the communities an opportunity to air their views. The funds from the sale of hunting quota goes towards community development and elephant conservation.”
He stressed that for conservation to succeed, the local people must be involved and derive benefits from the natural resources within their localities.
“There must be open and transparent consultations which involve all sectors of the society. It is against this backdrop that as a country, we lead the continent on merging conservation, democracy and sustainable development.”
Masisi stated that Botswana is open to collaborative opportunities, “particularly with identifiable partners such as Virginia Tech, in other essential areas such as conservation, and the study of the interplay among the ecology of diseases of wild animals and plants, and their effects on human health and socio-economic development.”
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Gov’t commit to injecting more funds in fighting HIV
Minister for State President Kabo Morwaeng says government will continue to make resources available in terms of financial allocations and human capital to ensure that Botswana achieves the ideal of eradicating HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Morwaeng was speaking this morning in Gaborone at the High-Level Advocacy event to accelerate HIV Prevention in Botswana. He said the National AIDS and Health Promotion Agency (NAPHA), in partnership with UNAIDS, UN agencies, the Global Fund and PEPFAR, have started a process of developing transition readiness plan for sustainability of HIV prevention and treatment programmes.
“It is important for us, as a country that has had a fair share of donor support in the response to an epidemic such as HIV and AIDS, to look beyond the period when the level of assistance would have reduced, or ceased, thus calling for domestic financing for all areas which were on donor support.”
Morwaeng said this is important as the such a plan will guarantee that all the gains accrued from the response with donor support will be sustained until the end when “we reach the elimination of HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 20230,” he said.
“I commit to continue support efforts towards strengthened HIV prevention, accentuating HIV primary prevention and treatment as prevention towards Zero New Infections, Zero Stigma, Discrimination and Zero AIDS related death, to end AIDS in Botswana.”
He reiterated that government commits to tackle legislative, policy and programming challenges that act as barriers to the achievement of the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.
In the financial year 2022/2023, a total of 119 Civil Society Organizations, including Faith Based Organizations, were contracted with an amount of P100 million to implement HIV and NCDs prevention activities throughout the country, and the money was drawn from the Consolidated Fund.
Through an upcoming HIV Prevention Symposium, technical stakeholders will use outcomes to develop the Botswana HIV Prevention Acceleration Road Map for 2023-2025.
Morwaeng stated that government will support and ensure that Botswana plays its part achieving the road map. He said there is need to put hands on the deck to ensure that Botswana sustains progress made so far in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
“There are tremendous achievements thus far to, reach and surpass the UNAIDS fast track targets of 95%- 95%- 95% by the year 2025. As reflected by the BAIS preliminary results of 2021, we now stand at 95- 98- 98 against the set targets.”
“These achievements challenge us to now shift our gears and strive to know who are the remaining 5% for those aware of their HIV status, 2% of enrolment on treatment by those aware of their status and 2% of viral suppression by those on treatment.”
Explaining this further, Morwaeng said shift in gears should extend to coming up with robust strategies of determining where these remaining people are as well as how they will be reached with the necessary services.
“These are just some of the many variables that are required to ensure that as a country, we are well positioned to reaching the last mile of our country’s response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic.”