Inside DIS internal power struggle
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday November 12, 2025 06:00
According to an affidavit by Intelligence Officer Bruce Seoposengwe, the investigation began in March 2024 after DIS officer Paul Setlhabi, also known in the spy world as Slim, received intelligence suggesting that serious acts of maladministration were taking place at the national airline. The information, reportedly from a reliable source, claimed that certain Air Botswana employees were colluding with staff from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana to undermine the airline and its then chief executive officer, Lulu Rasebotsa.
The intelligence alleged that Acting Director of Flight Operations, Oduetse Leshogo, had held his position for several years despite lacking the required qualifications, and that a pilot, identified as G. Molemi, was flying without a valid licence.
According to the affidavit following the revelation, Setlhabi instructed officers Mpho Molokwane and Moses Solomon to compile a detailed intelligence report, which was then submitted to the Director-General of the DIS, Peter Magosi, and shortly after, Deputy Director-General Ishmael Basupi was briefed about the allegations, and a full-scale investigation was launched, led by Officer Botsalo Senatla.
The Sebele-based task force apparently began interviews, seized employee files, and confiscated several electronic devices for forensic analysis. Seoposengwe stated that the intelligence “proved to be credible,” with investigators confirming multiple allegations and uncovering new irregularities within the airline’s operations. However, the probe took an unexpected turn when Deputy Director-General Basupi made an unannounced visit to the Sebele office, and according to Seoposengwe, during his visit, DIS Director-Legal Pulane Kgoadi instructed one of the officers to photograph statements related to the Air Botswana case.
'Soon after, Basupi informed the team that he had been directed by the Director-General to collect the investigation docket and transfer the case to another team,' reads his affidavit. Tension reportedly arose when Kgoadi objected to the Deputy Director-General’s decision, insisting that another officer, identified as Selwe, should not be involved in the matter.
An argument reportedly broke out between the two senior officials in front of the investigation team, prompting Basupi to intervene and restore order. According to Seoposengwe, officers present, including him, raised concerns about the handover process, urging that the chain of custody be respected to prevent evidence tampering. He stated it was eventually agreed that the transfer of the docket and all exhibits would take place the following morning in the presence of the new investigator and that, before the handover could occur, the team received instructions from Setlhabi via their official communication channel to return to the Sebele office for an urgent meeting.
Upon returning, they reportedly found the Director-General and senior officials present, and during the meeting, Basupi announced that, following consultation with the Director-General, all DIS officers involved in the Air Botswana investigation, including Kgoadi, Setlhabi, Seoposengwe, Solomon, and others, were to be immediately removed from the case. Seoposengwe stated that Basupi said the investigation would continue under the supervision of police officers seconded to the Directorate, who would report directly to him. He said Kgoadi accepted the directive on behalf of the team and wished the new investigators well. Seoposengwe noted in his affidavit that his main role in the investigation had been to prepare legal documents and obtain court authorisation for the forensic examination of the seized devices.
At the time the team was removed from the case, he had not yet filed the necessary court application, and he later obtained the order through the Magistrate’s Court after being instructed to do so by Officer Steven Mafuta.
The affidavit further mentions that soon after the team’s removal, several officers, including Kgoadi, Setlhabi, and Molokwane, were arrested in connection with the case, though details of the charges remain unclear. Meanwhile, the sudden reassignment of the Air Botswana investigation reportedly raised questions within security and legal circles about possible internal interference and the motives behind the decision to remove the original DIS task force. As of now, it remains unclear what findings, if any, have emerged from the continued investigation under the new team.