Restore the DCEC, BPS dignity

Mmegi Editor | Monday August 7, 2023 06:00

This was good news for a country that has been struggling to contain emerging incidents of corruption and economic crime as the economy continues to grow. The President’s concerns and promises were not misplaced at all.

Mr President, do you remember these words being part of your inaugural speech in 2018?: “We remain committed to fighting corruption, in order to safeguard the hopes and dreams of all Batswana for current and future generations. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to continue to strengthen our oversight institutions, and exact the full might of the law to ensure the fight against corruption in all its forms and manifestations is won.”

Now, since you rose to the helm of the Republic as its head honcho, there is a body of evidence suggesting that you continued to wreak havoc at a government department that plays a crucial role as an oversight institution and charged functionally with the responsibility to combat corruption and economic crime, which is the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC). Now, we wonder what had happened suddenly. In particular, the turnover of directors general of the DCEC is worrisome and by all intents and purposes, it has been counter-productive. It only points to one direction: The Masisi-led administration doesn’t want to see an institution of the DCEC calibre growing or with teeth.

Your administration started the onslaught by transferring the DCEC’s substantive DG, Bruno Paledi and quickly replaced him with his former deputy, Brigadier Joseph Mathambo who couldn’t last as before long he was returned to the army barracks where he came from. Tymon Katlholo was returned from his retirement and only to get a boot three months before his contract ended. Katlholo was suspended from work as the DG of the DCEC in June 2022 just after his presentation at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) where he raised concerns about the government of President Masisi. Reports followed that “Katlholo’s suspension was precipitated by the fact that in the course of his official duties, he had misconducted himself and exhibited behaviour that is incompatible with the conduct of a public officer”.

Katlholo was fired after he raised concerns that a sister security organ, the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) was having a field day at the DCEC doing as it pleases. He was concerned about a raid the DIS mounted at his office allegedly trying to access DCEC investigation files, which ostensibly involved some of the spies. Tshepo Pilane was recently appointed on acting basis as the DG and only to be removed from the office and another officer, Ngadzi Matshameko, appointed, albeit on acting basis. The DCEC has now become a battleground as officers find themselves fighting each other for survival.

It seems the current regime is deliberately creating tension in the DCEC so that the oversight institution doesn’t perform to its very best and fail on its tasks.

The President’s attention is also drawn to the Botswana Police Service (BPS), which has been running for about a year without a substantive Police Commissioner, following the suspension of Keabetswe Makgophe. Please, take action Mr President and restore the dignity of these institutions.