Idle DIS officers paid over P8.1m
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:22
He argued that they had successfully gone to court to declare that they were not members of the intelligence agency but officers of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Military Police.
The dispute centres on a court case involving Mpho Baleseng and 10 other officers, who challenged their deployment to the DIS, maintaining that they belonged to the BDF Military Police rather than the intelligence agency.
The revelation came following a question by Member of Parliament for Nkange, Motlhaleemang Molaosi, who wanted to know whether it is procedural that officers who take the DIS to court are suspended, whether they are considered for promotions and further studies.
Magosi told the hearing that although the officers have continued receiving government salaries, the payments were not his decision.
He said the matter was discussed at a meeting convened by the Office of the President after the court judgment, where representatives from the DIS and the BDF were present.
According to Magosi, the then Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) advised against shifting responsibility to another government institution. However, the DIS head maintained that he could not reinstate the officers.
'The PSP said we cannot throw another government agency under the bus, but I told her that as long as I am the DG, I can never take these people back into the organisation because I don't trust them. I therefore asked the PSP that they can be deployed elsewhere, but the DIS, because they said they are not DIS officers but soldiers. The second thing is that I personally took time to show these officers that I understand their issue and told them that there is a way their problem can be solved, but they decided to go ahead with the litigation.
'Bana ba as we speak are not on duty, mme ebile I'm not willing to bring them back, ga se ma DIS (As we speak, these officers are not on duty and I'm not willing to bring them back. They are not DIS officers),' Magosi told the committee.
He revealed his stance was based on the officers' own court application, in which they sought and obtained an order declaring that they were not DIS officers.
Magosi's response seemed to ignite tensions within the proceedings, with PAC members questioning whether his refusal to reinstate the officers was influenced by personal feelings rather than administrative considerations.
The committee also said there is a contradiction in what Magosi was saying because the officers are paid by the DIS.
However, Magosi rejected the suggestion, insisting he was merely acting in line with the court ruling.
'Yes, they are paid by the DIS against my will. They are not suspended, but since they are the ones who went to court saying they are not DIS officers. 'I am simply acting in accordance with the court order and their own wishes. Since I was told by the PSP that I cannot throw another government agency under the bus, the matter is back in court,' he said.
The revelations came as the PAC scrutinised expenditure within the intelligence agency, with committee members expressing concern over the continued payment of millions of pula to employees who have remained outside the workplace for years.
Magosi told the committee that his main issue is the dishonesty by the intelligence officers, who took the matter to court after agreeing to settle it through the organisation's Human Resources department. He said this is a matter of principle, not personal.
As a way of finding resolution on the matter, the committee directed the DIS boss to meet with other agencies involved in the matter for a resolution within two months and make a submission to the committee thereafter.