Magosi defends 'promoting' his wife
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:18
He said the process was intended to address long-standing career stagnation affecting officers from different backgrounds. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, Magosi explained that some officers who entered the organisation at the C1 grade were promoted directly to E2.
Others advanced to D4, depending on their individual circumstances and career progression, the PAC hearing was told.
Amongst those promoted to E2 were officers whose counterparts in other security services had risen significantly whilst they remained at the same level for years.
Magosi said the situation particularly affected former Botswana Defence Force (BDF) officer cadets who had joined the DIS at C1 and remained there without promotion for an extended period.
He confirmed that one of the officers is his wife.
“During that time, their counterparts in the BDF had progressed to the ranks of Captain and Major. “Similarly, six officers recruited from the Botswana Police Service also moved from C1 to E2 after their counterparts in the police had advanced whilst they remained stagnant,” he explained.
Reflecting on the matter, Magosi revealed that as far back as 2018, when he joined the DIS, he met officers from the BDF and acknowledged their concerns over delayed promotions.
The spy chief said he told the affected officers that he understood their grievances and that the decision on whether to continue with the litigation over the matter rested with them.
He noted that his decision to promote the officers was addressing an issue that already existed when he joined.
Magosi further disclosed that in 2021 he directed that priority for promotions be given to officers who had served in the DIS for lengthy periods without promotion.
“A second phase of the exercise focussed on officers who had last been promoted between 2008 and 2014,” he added.
Asked if his decision was not because his wife was involved, the DIS head maintained that his wife was promoted on merit and argued that excluding her solely because she is his spouse would have been unfair.
“Would it have been fair to promote officers who deserved promotion whilst leaving my wife out simply because she is my wife, even though she met all the requirements?' Magosi asked rhetorically.
He explained that the promotion process was based on established criteria and that his wife was amongst the officers who qualified for promotion.
To strengthen fairness and transparency, Magosi said responsibility for recommending promotions has now been delegated to directors.
He said the directors have been instructed to review the records of officers whose last promotions date back to 2008 and ensure deserving personnel are considered based on merit and the need to address historical career stagnation.