Commando, comrade and cheetah

| Friday June 21, 2013 00:00

 

Philip Tlhage's day started quite ordinarily but ended in extra-ordinary fashion and a night in a cell. Like any other morning, the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) employee drove to Sebele Mall, walked into Pick 'n Pay Supermarket and picked up a few items, some light food for breakfast and The Monitor newspaper, Mmegi's sister publication. On the front page of the publication was President Ian Khama facing a cheetah. It had been a week of interesting engagements for newshounds and on that front page sat the fruits of that effort.

Intrigued Tlhage walks to the cashier, glancing at the paper. While at the till, he takes time to look at the front page properly and read the teaser. He learns that Khama had escaped a mauling from a cheetah at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks. He says, casually:'E mo hositse, e kabo e mmolaile. E kabo e mo gontse matlho a'. Like all simple mornings, people engage in chitchat, the cashier seeks to defend the President, happy that her favourite person escaped to tell the tale. The cashier defends the President's record but Tlhage holds a different view, that perhaps things could be better.

He leaves and walks to his car, joins his driver (name withheld) and assistant (name withheld) from the BCA. They had business to attend to that day, so they drop the assistant at the Ministry of Agriculture. Tlhage and his driver make their way to the southern part of Gaborone to Ramotswa where he is scheduled to attend a meeting.Upon arrival, he goes into the meeting while his driver sits outside. After the meeting, his driver tells him that there has been a call, from the DIS. It turns out they are wanted men. A certain Rre Thubego had called to deliver the message. 'He says we should report to DIS offices in Phakalane'.Tlhage takes it lightly - he cannot believe that they could be wanted men. The two men head for Sebele, where their offices are.

On arrival at Sebele around 1 pm, they meet the assistant, who informs them that indeed the three of them are wanted by DIS. She tells them that DIS said they will be at the office at exactly 2pm. At exactly 2pm, two DIS agents arrive in an Isuzu Double Cab. They introduce themselves as Marco Polo and Commando. 'Re kopa go le bona ko ofising ya DIS,' Commando tells Tlhage, his driver and assistant.The wanted three oblige and jump into the car. When they get to Phakalane, they discover an imposing state-of-the-art facility, staked out with security cameras and finger print locks. Security agents mill about.

They are separated. Tlhage is put in an interrogation room that could double as a boardroom. On the table is the infamous edition of The Monitor newspaper. A certain Thubego and two other officers and Commando join the interrogation.Thubego asks Thlage if he remembers the words he said when he bought the paper. 'I don't remember,' he replies. 'Didn't you buy this paper?' 'I did,' he says. 'Then what did you say?'

Tlhage repeats his earlier answer. Thubego considers him for a second and then warns him that he is not telling the whole truth, promising that they had mechanisms that can extract the truth out of him.At that point the three officers leave, Thubego stays.Others come in to join the interrogation taking turns to ask questions. Later, the main man, Isaac Kgosi joins them. After hours of interrogation, they take Tlhage outside and Thubego warns him that since he is not interested in telling the truth, they will imprison him. It was around 3pm according to sources.

The interrogators came back around 5pm. Thubego askd Tlhage to write a statement. Tlhage obliged.In the statement Tlhage points out that he had not said the words intentionally and thus wished to be pardoned for whatever sin he might have committed.'We do not forgive,' retorted Thubego who takes the statement and walks away. He comes back a bit more concerned. He urges Tlhage to write the statement and omit the part where he pleads for forgiveness. At this point, another man wanders in. He is introduced as the director of the Phakalane establishment.

He berates Tlhage, saying he is a shame. He says that he was hired to protect the President and the ruling party and that he would do anything to defend them.'How could you wish the President dead? You should respect the government of the day!' berates Thubego.At this point, Commando walks in and take Tlhage for some photographing and fingerprinting.When they return, Kgosi arrives and introduces himself. He explains that they, the security agents, have been hired to protect the government of the day.'If you don't like government, you should leave. You should respect the President.If we searched your pockets, we would find money, and his face on it, yet you don't respect him. How could you wish the President dead?' Kgosi lecturers.

Tlhage implores Kgosi to forgive him, promising that if required, he would avail himself anytime he is required. Kgosi was having none of it. 'You want to go and write about me in the press and since you are a comrade, you will tell other comrades that you bribed me with P500 so I could release you?' asks Kgosi before heading out.Thubego says at the DIS, they are aware of who Thlage is, including the fact that he is a unionist.'You should know I will write to Director and Permanent Secretary (of Ministry of Agriculture) about this issue,' promises Thubego.

Tlhage is informed that his time to go to prison has arrived. Commando and Thubego lead him out. They arrive at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport Police Station. The police ask what Tlhage's suspected crime was to which Commando says, 'insulting the President'. Tlhage's belonings are taken from him and he is led into a cell where 10 men, two Batswana and eight Zimbabweans stand. There are three blankets, two on the floor, and another held by a man lying on the floor.He spends the night in the cell.The next morning, he is offered motogo. For lunch they are fed maize, rice and seswaa. Around 6pm, the DIS men come to get their man.

They drive back to the DIS offices in Phakalane where he collects his belongings.They dump him at his house around 8am, nearly the same time he bought the newspaper the day before.That is how Tlhage's nightmare ended according to sources.This story is corroborated by sources to varying degrees both within the security establishment and outside.Attempts to reach Kgosi hit a blank last eveningMmegi is reliably informed that Tlhage has instructed his lawyers to sue the DIS.