Media vs inteligence - the war rages on

Richard Moleofe | Friday June 27, 2014 16:10

 

Naturally this means that the media and the intelligence are never friends, especially in circumstances where functional democracy is deficient. I have been writing a series of opinion articles on the current fracas engulfing our intelligence community and my focus was particularly on the functions of the Military Intelligence. Last week, I decided to give them some respite in order that I may follow through Lt. Gen. Galebotswe’s persuasion for more funding of the military by parliament. This was a deliberate move because I brought in something positive for the BDF to appreciate and hopefully give me positive feedback on my support to the commander. And I received none.

 I deliberately chose to give MI a one week break before the end of my episodes  because intelligence information had filtered through to me, and of course to the media fraternity,  through reliable conduits that a group of Colonels at BDF HQ were having sleepless nights on my writings and were even trying to piece together some information to discredit my claims on my association with the Military Intelligence. They are working around the clock to unearth my past to discredit my present. What past? When I left BDF I was decorated with an enviable medal of honour, The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM). In the past years, soldiers were often despised as an uneducated bunch of fellows.  But that’s no longer the case. BDF has a pool of one of the most educated group of people within the government establishment. And it really leaves me speechless to think that they didn’t understand my claims. Let me reiterate! My association with intelligence operatives was established while I was in charge of welfare at BDF. Through counselling, I came to appreciate the intricacy of this secret society. Even after leaving, I still receive calls for counselling from some of these agents and operatives and I have only accepted that it shows I was so good. I cited the infiltration of the BNF by MI and got this from my clients and I wish BDF could openly deny the fact that they their intelligence arm has been working in cohorts with the ruling party. More is in store and they must only appreciate that I am not mentioning names of their operatives for security reasons, my client’s security.

One of the toughest experiences in my adult life was when I retired from BDF in 2010. The following year, I joined many of my friends in the industrial strike at the GSS grounds in solidarity but instead I received a raw egg on my face. Many of them had not known by then that I had separated with BDF and they labelled me as a spy and for which I made a big disclaimer.  Later in the year I was appointed Chairman of Mogoditshane Sub-Land Board and I had it tough there too. Questions were raised on how I could come from BDF and immediately ascend to the highest office while there were other people with better experience on land administration. Things took a serious turn when I bought myself an SLR camera with my first salary and henceforth, I fit the description of a planted spy and after a short stint at the land office I decided to resign.

Coming to join the media fraternity was twice as hard because people were raising legitimate questions around my appearance within the fourth estate as one journalist remarked; jaanong re sule ga ba re betsa direct jaana (we are now finished if they are hitting us directly now)! Lately, the media fraternity has come to appreciate my contribution since I have hauled in my huge experience with the armed forces. And once admitted within the Media Tribe, I came to appreciate that it is another intelligence world with equal force.  It is not that the media is not afraid of what the intelligence might do in retaliation, but their call to duty in exposing and informing the public is foremost and urgent than their personal fears and worries.  After speaking on issues of intelligence on a local radio station a week ago, I started receiving calls from my friends asking me if I am not scared of disappearing or have my laptops stolen  because I seem to have so much liberty addressing issues of intelligence. My answer has and will always be the same. Like Martin Luther King Jr; “longevity has its place and I’m not worried about that now!” I am more worried about the looting and corruption that goes on in our country which will in turn mortgage the future of our children and our children’s children.

One editor asked me, “a mme go a kgonega gore mathaka a ba go shapise stroke (is it possible that these fellows can induce stroke on a person)? This was after the newspaper received intelligence information that one of the defendants on the missing spying equipment saga had been hit by a mild stroke. We all have concerns in this area and it will be the epitome of stupidity to engage and antagonise such a powerful institution for no apparent reason. Only love for one’s country drives us in one direction. And it seems in this regard, the media is more patriotic than the intelligence. Let’s face it, a vibrant and free press that is empowered to hold government to account is what this country needs and over the weeks, we have been getting a dose of that.

In a functional democracy, no one is above the law and that includes all institutions in government. For the intelligence community to be confronted in this manner by the media is a serious challenge to the former but they must understand that this is done in the interest of the nation.

Muzzling the media is common with intelligence organisations around the world, including the United States of America. A clear example is the Edward Snowden case and that of Australian born Julian Assange whose fate is slowly fading from our memories while the intelligence is in fact tightening the noose around these two fellows. Had it not been for the media, the world would remain oblivious to the atrocities that governments commit under the noses of their citizens and tax payers.

*Richard Moleofe is a Retired Military Officer.