Saleshando excoriates Khama's 'blue-eyed boy'

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday October 25, 2010 00:00

 

Saleshando says the spy agency boss has been making political statements and that he generally behaves more like a politician than a civil servant. Describing Kgosi as a law unto himself, who is accountable only to President Ian Khama, the BCP leader says Kgosi behaves like a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) activist who is fond of ridiculing opposition parties. Even the head of the civil service, Eric Molale, does not behave like Kgosi, Saleshando notes.

Saleshando was reacting to a newspaper article, which reported that Kgosi had insulted leaders of opposition parties.

This comes amid fears in opposition circles that the BDP could be using DIS funds to 'buy' opposition activists.  The newspaper article in question said when Kgosi was contacted for comment regarding this, he insulted opposition members.   Saleshando says he complained to the former Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Ndelu Seretse, after reading the article but Seretse never took any action. In another political statement attributed to Kgosi, the DIS boss allegedly said he would rather join MELS because unlike other opposition parties, MELS was not controversial.  In the same article, Kgosi allegedly referred to opposition leaders as 'cowards' who complain about him behind his back but never in meetings with him.

Kgosi also told the newspaper that he did not belong to any party and denied that he had any links with the BDP.

Contacted, Kgosi said people were making a mountain out of an anthill. He was not perturbed by the statement he made about preferring a specific party because he made the statement in response to a question about his party affiliation, he says. Kgosi also denies that he has been making political statements: 'I am not a politician, but I am also not a prisoner,' he retorts. Regarding Saleshando's criticism of him, Kgosi says as a Member of Parliament, the BCP leader knows the right channels. 'As an MP, he knows my numbers and my office,' says Kgosi.

'I can't communicate with him through newspapers.' he said.

To this, Saleshando says this is what happens when people are given posts they are not suited for, adding that Kgosi suddenly finds himself 'with so many power'. He says Kgosi has always been close to President Khama. He points out that when Khama was appointed Vice-President, he plucked Kgosi from the barracks to make him his private secretary, a position for which he was not qualified for. 

He says when DIS was established, it was obvious that Kgosi would be appointed director because he is Khama's blue-eyed boy.