Thapelo Matsheka has bemoaned the ill-treatment and abuse he experienced at the hands of the feared Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS) during his tenure as a legislator.
The visibly distraught Member of Parliament (MP) for Lobatse, who is leaving politics, expressed his frustrations today when addressing the last session of Parliament before the anticipated October polls. “Today marks exactly two years since my arrest by the DIS. I spent five days behind bars being moved from different police cells sleeping on the floor and wonder what I had done to be treated like this by the government. I prayed and said the Lord will fight in my corner,” he said. The MP, who is not standing for re-election, stated that if there is anyone to blame for the Lobatse chaos that erupted in 2022, the DIS should just look itself in the mirror.
“The whole situation started weeks before with the director of DIS addressing kgotla meetings in Lobatse and the District Commissioner not alerting the office of the MP. The DIS is responsible for the riots and damage to property that took place in Lobatse. It is not the people of Lobatse,” the frustrated Matsheka told Parliament. Additionally, he said it was disheartening that even the State media was roped into the malicious act by the DIS to portray him as a criminal. “As I was being driven to the High Court in Lobatse the Btv was being called by the officers who had me in custody to make sure that they are at court. It was well staged by the DIS and government. They made sure to put leg irons on me and create the image of wrongdoer,” he said. In closing, he urged the youth to rise up and make their voice heard.
