Kgosi re-joins civil service
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday June 22, 2018 15:00
If President Mokgweetsi Masisi endorses the appointment, Kgosi will replace senior private secretary to the former president Ian Khama, George Tlhalerwa who is said to be retiring in a fortnight.
Khama is said to prefer Kgosi to be his senior private secretary. Kgosi was Khama’s first private secretary for 10 years when he [Khama] was the Vice President of the country from 1998 to 2008.
In 2012, Tlhalerwa was then appointed as senior private secretary to the President as Kgosi was the founding DIS director. Kgosi assumed the directorship of the DIS in April 1, 2008 after Khama ascended to the presidency.
It is yet to be seen whether President Masisi will approve the appointment or not. Masisi sacked Kgosi as DIS boss in April.
It is believed that the President took the drastic action after Kgosi lent his long time boss, Khama a DIS aircraft after Masisi had refused the former president access to the presidential jet. This caused a rift between Kgosi and the current President as Masisi believed that he had been undermined.
Kgosi’s name is also mentioned in the controversial National Petroleum Fund saga. According to a source, some of Khama’s allies had told the former president that they were not comfortable with the decision he made to reappoint Kgosi.
“The issue is that Kgosi has to clear his name first. We don’t have anything against him, but principle has to be followed.
“It will look like Khama is trying to undermine Masisi. Khama and Masisi should be seen to be working together and agreeing on some of the issues,” the source said. Tlhalerwa refused to comment about his retirement and said he could only agree to be interviewed next week Tuesday.
“Why do you want to inform people about whether I am retiring or not? I don’t remember telling people that I was appointed in this position,” he said. Reached for comment Kgosi denied that he has been earmarked to replace Tlhalerwa. “I have not been informed. I didn’t know that Tlhalerwa is retiring. I will ask Khama about it,” Kgosi said. He was non-committal that he will take up the job.