Nchindo's fears were false

GIDEON NKALA
Staff Writer | Thursday February 18, 2010 00:00

 

Many had come to pay their last respects but others, ever curious, were looking for clues and answers to that nagging question: What is Nchindo's cause of death? Even after the memorial service, the jury is still out as to whether that question has been satisfactorily answered.

Family members who spoke spent their time paying homage to the memory of the late Nchindo. The closest who came to answering that critical question was Nchindo's son Garvas.

Addressing the service yesterday he had this to say: 'On the afternoon of the 4th of February 2010 my father, 'LGN' flew from Gaborone to Kasane, a place where he was most at peace and loved dearly. We spoke on Sunday and he informed me of his realisation that information he had been receiving over the past two weeks, which had been creating a strong feeling of insecurity within him was indeed false. After our conversation I called him back to check on him and he said he was fine. On Monday I was informed that Dad had left his house on Sunday afternoon at around 4 and had not returned. At 4 on Monday, I reported him missing to the Kasane Police who conducted a ground search on Tuesday. On Wednesday additional resources where added to the search and LGN's vehicle was recovered on Wednesday evening. On Thursday morning my father's body was recovered. My brother and I where present throughout the search and I bore witness to all the details of the investigation. Furthermore, once on site investigations were concluded, I was briefed by the police and concurred with their initial findings.'

Garvas did not directly answer that critical question but he left clues and sub-text which analysts will find fascinating. Not in many words, he confirmed that his father had been fearful and felt insecure. But most critically, he said from their telephone conversation, his father told him that the great feeling of insecurity was proven false. Differently put, Nchindo had been told untruths or lied to.

Why did he have to find all these answers once he was in Kasane? Who had been feeding him the information that gave him a great sense of insecurity? So far, there are no answers as the Nchindo family want some time alone to mourn and not to be assailed by newshounds.

In the lush gardens of the Nchindo residency in Gaborone, where people went after the memorial service, there was talk - perhaps baseless in the knowledge that dead men tell no tales - that he had gone to Kasane to meet some people who were going to give him information, dossier, pictures and transcripts of those who wanted to get him.

This information did not come and yet these people wanted to extort money from him - millions it is said.

Was this the realisation that Nchindo was talking about? Perhaps we will not know as dead men tell no tales.

When giving his speech, Garvas said he was present throughout the search and bore witness to the details of the investigations. Perhaps more pointedly, he stated that at the conclusion of the investigation, he was briefed by the police and he concurred with their initial findings.

What initial findings? That Nchindo had taken his life? After one has realised that he or she has been taken for a ride or has been a victim of extortion does he or she commit suicide?

After the callous killing of John Kalafatis there is the propensity to look in the direction of security agents whenever a mysterious death occurs. Even in the Nchindo case, some people cannot just put it beyond the state security agents.

But Garvas seemed to have absolved them, the police, Botswana Defence Force (BDF) and Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS).'The Nchindo family extends their deepest gratitude to the BPS, BDF and DIS for the professional investigation and the substantial resources that where committed to the search for my father,' he said.

It is clear the public feels hung-up but the Nchindo family seems to be in a different mood that they want to grieve and be allowed to move beyond the death of the patriarch.