How DIS defeated DCEC
Friday, February 21, 2014

Exactly two years ago, nearly to the year, an Uzi was pulled up against some man’s head, the trigger pulled, the bullet sent into the body. The bullet dealt with the physiology the way a bullet is manufactured to. The man was Malawian-born businessman Harry Tembo, otherwise known as Harrison Tembo, and the place was the upmarket suburb of Phakalane in the north of Gaborone.
The use of the Israeli manufactured weapon struck security experts as interesting. Uzis are seldom used in the security sector in Botswana, and it is often associated with officials higher up in the security sector. If an Uzi is to be used, then a senior official better be holding it, and if a mortal being is to wield it at the minimum, permission would have come from some place a bit more hallowed.
While every citizen, including the Head of State, has the right to voice opinions, the tone and context of the President’s comments were regrettably dismissive and risk chilling free expression in our country. The remarks are not isolated. They form part of a disturbing pattern of public attacks on independent institutions pillars essential to the healthy functioning of our democracy. The Judiciary, the Legislature, and now the media have all...