Was Kgosi's Arrest Different From Others?

Monitor Editor | Monday January 21, 2019 11:11

The most talked about was the arrest of former Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) boss, Isaac Kgosi. A number of people celebrated his arrest, while some here and there, were not too pleased with the arrest. It was not shocking for the news to grab each and every citizen’s attention, since it was Kgosi who was arrested.This is the once powerful man who as he once relayed when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), did not answer to anyone, not even the President.

While the DIS did not reveal Kgosi’s charges as yet many speculated on what they might be, as some citizens have been calling for his arrest for the longest time. Every citizen of Botswana has a right to be treated with dignity and for their rights to be respected, while at the same it is each and every citizen’s responsibility to abide by and uphold the laws of the country. The laws should apply equally to all citizens, rich or poor, educated or illiterate.

We should all enjoy the same protections as provided for in our Constitution. Last Tuesday’s arrest of Kgosi by the very same spy agency that he used to head had many tongues wagging, and shockingly, there are some people and political parties who seem to suggest that the arrest was ‘humiliating’ and ‘undignified’. Humiliating? An arrest is something that many people try to avoid at all costs, including those who actually commit crime. 

Many people pride themselves with being responsible law abiding citizens, so being arrested is of course something that would be an embarrassment to anyone regardless of status in the society.  The biggest bone of contention with regard to those who criticised the new DIS boss, Bragadier Peter Mogosi was the fact that he arrested Kgosi in front of his family.

Well ideally yes, it would be nice for someone’s children to be spared seeing their parent being put in handcuffs and whisked off to jail, but would it always work?  And how about those who make it a habit to run from the law? Had the DIS waited to arrest Kgosi when his family was not there, how long would it have taken them to do their investigations? And would the same treatment be extended to each and every person who gets arrested?

The arrest was not violent and yes it was unfortunate that his family was there, but Magosi and his team conducted themselves  in a respectable manner, and tried to make the arrest as swift as possible. Was Kgosi’s arrest supposed to be secretive? Haven’t we been calling for accountability and transparency?