Non-citizens in the police, army ranks
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday March 26, 2024 06:00
This came to the fore last week in Parliament after Defence and Security minister, Kagiso Mmusi, revealed that three individuals were dismissed from the police service after it emerged that they had questionable citizenship.
The minister stated the trio was employed as Special Constables at different stations, as he responded to a question asked by Member of Parliament for Francistown West, Ignatious Moswaane.
The legislator had asked Mmusi how many BPS, Botswana Prison Service and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) officers both commissioned, non-commissioned and civilian personnel have lost their jobs because of renunciation delays and how many have since been re-absorbed into service. In response, the minister said there have been three cases of individuals who left the BPS after it emerged that they were not Botswana citizens.
Mmusi said two of the individuals’ contracts were terminated while the other one resigned while under investigation. The trio is Constance Setsile who was stationed at Kutlwano Police Station, Thobokani Thusani who was based at Tatitown police station, and Samson E who was also based at Kutlwano Police Station. Setsile is said to have resigned in 2016 during investigations after she was intercepted at Botswana Police College during the recruitment process on suspicion that she forged educational certificates and she is not a citizen of Botswana. “The suspect resigned whilst investigations were still ongoing.
It was noted during investigations from the Omang office that she had been flagged for questionable citizenship since 2013 while she was already a Special Constable. “She was not located and the matter was closed,” Mmusi said. On the other hand, Thusani’s contract was terminated after investigations revealed that she is a Zimbabwean national who was raised by her grandmother who had long resided illegally in Botswana. It was also discovered that her late mother was a Zimbabwean national from Mafega village in Zimbabwe where she was also buried. It was also established through the Immigration Department that she was staying in Botswana using a residence permit.
Furthermore, Mmusi said investigations also revealed that Samson is a Zimbabwean citizen.
The minister added the suspect was charged for a disciplinary charge of discreditable conduct which he pleaded guilty to and was dismissed from work in 2017. His real Zimbabwean names were established to be Bekezela Dube. Meanwhile, Mmusi also revealed that there is one case of an individual who separated from the BDF in 2012 aged 35 due to renunciation issues.
He said the individual, who was holding the rank of Lance Corporal was born in South Africa to a Motswana father and South African mother. He said the individual did not renounce his citizenship when he turned 21. “It is alleged that his father declined to sign the consent forms forcing the NCO to remain with an expired National Identity Card and unable to process other documents like the passport. The NCO eventually tendered his resignation from the BDF,” Mmusi explained.