Israel’s journey began with a brief stint at the Botswana Police Service before she moved to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), where her skills in litigation set her apart. She was later appointed head of the human trafficking unit. Still at the DPP, she was tasked with leading the prosecution in one of Botswana’s most high-profile corruption cases including those of former Permanent Secretary to the President, Carter Morupisi, the CMB matter, The David Modise murder trial, just to mention but a few.
It was her involvement in the infamous P100 billion money laundering matter dubbed the ‘Butterfly’ case that placed her on both national and international stages. The case gained traction because, according to the State, it implicated former president Ian Khama and ex-Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) the late Isaac Kgosi, sending shockwaves across the political landscape.
The case also implicated South African businesswoman with ties to the South African president, Bridget Motsepe Radebe, bringing into question international relations. Israel became the face of the legal State offensive, detailing before the courts the search for the missing billions that involved travelling across the continent. It was during this period that she became one of the most talked about legal minds in the country.
As tensions escalated, Israel was classified as a high-risk individual by the DIS. The DIS assigned her a six-man security detail, providing round-the-clock protection, including a government-issued vehicle. She was seen as a close ally of the DIS Director General, Peter Magosi, a perception that only fuelled speculation about her role in the country’s intricate power dynamics.
In a move that raised eyebrows, Israel was later appointed deputy director of operations at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC). Critics argued that her appointment was part of a broader strategy to tighten DIS control over the anti-corruption body. At the time, the DCEC Director General Tymon Katlholo was spearheading investigations into high-ranking government officials, including the DIS boss, Magosi himself. Katlholo was widely regarded as a man unwilling to be used as a political tool. His refusal to investigate perceived State enemies placed him at odds with the then government. Some within the intelligence and legal fraternity suspected that Israel had been strategically placed to keep an eye on him, a claim she strongly denied. However, sooner than later, Katlholo was dramatically removed from the DCEC office, and his office sealed. Critics again believed Israel possibly had a hand in the fiasco.
But power, as history often states, it is indeed a precarious thing. As the tides of influence shifted, Israel found herself on unstable ground following the change of government on October 31, 2024. Considered a political enemy of those who have since crossed the isle in Parliament, Israel’s days were numbered. She was transferred from the DCEC to the Attorney General’s Chambers. Initially, reports surfaced that she was earmarked for a District Commissioner post in Chobe, but the government swiftly reversed that would be decision, opting instead for her quieter relocation to the AG’s office.
The move to the drafting division has been widely interpreted as a demotion, stripping her of the prosecutorial power that once defined her career. For a woman who once walked the corridors of power with the full weight of the State behind her, the shift marks a striking fall from grace. With her reassignment, Israel will go down Botswana’s history, with her story serving as a stark reminder of the fine line between power and peril in the country’s political landscape. Mmegi reached out to Israel for a comment, but she expressed that she wished for her employer to be the one commenting as she is just a government employee. Israel told Mmegi reporters that she is currently at her new post and learning the roles. Contacted for comment, the Permanent Secretary to the President, Emma Peloetletse denied Israel’s re-assignment but the DCEC later confirmed the move.
