Masisi wields the axe

Deputy PS Nchunga Nchunga latest victim A country cannot be run out of anger—Nchunga ‘Please stop firing people based on allegations’

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Defence and Security Nchunga Nchunga has been dismissed from his job, allegedly for being aligned to former President, Lt. Gen. Dr. Ian Khama.

Nchunga also known as Chuchuchu’s 5-year contract renewed on 1st April 2020 and expiring on March 2025 was abruptly terminated through a letter signed by Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) Elias Magosi stating that his 37 year civil service career ends today (Friday).

Speaking to Botswana Guardian and confirming his dismissal Nchunga said: “It’s final. By the time your Friday issue comes out Chuchuchu will no longer be a civil servant. A career of 37 years’ service terminated abruptly for singing a love song”.

The multi-talented Nchunga, a pastor and a musician in his own right, recently set tongues wagging with his latest and 11th album titled ‘O Baakanya Lehatshe’ currently circulating through Facebook with over 100 000 views.

Observers and critics say the album is too harsh and political to be done by a top civil servant. For example, track 9

Igandaganda, is about Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) president Biggie Butale; in track10 Kgosikgolo Nchunga says former president Lt. Gen. Ian Khama is his Kgosikgolo and Track 12 O Baakanya

Lehatshe is about President Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi while Botshamekelo is about Leader of Opposition, Dumelang Saleshando’s exploits in his fight against corruption.

It is not clear why Nchunga was sacked. PSP Magosi could only say: “I cannot comment on matters concerning employer and employee as they do not include third parties”.

However, Nchunga argues that his service was terminated abruptly for singing a “love song”, a reference to his album, which he describes as a “unity project designed to destroy politics of resentment and hatred”.

A few days before receiving his marching orders, Nchunga poured his heart out to

Botswana Guardian. Although at times he was selective with his choice of words and avoided spilling the beans, there were moments when he sounded like someone who already knew his fate.

Nchunga said he was disappointed that a lot of civil servants especially at “my level of Deputy Permanent Secretary, PSs and Directors have suffered because of suspicions. Somebody who has worked for 37 years, just because there is a suspicion you can lose your career and your life be destroyed.

“That is wrong. I would like to plead with His Excellency and the PSP that people in the executive, have served all their lives in the public service, you cannot afford to just wake up and destroy somebody’s live on the basis of assumptions or suppositions.

As a magistrate, I was taught that you cannot write a judgement without hearing all sides.

So if people are just going to be fired, lives and careers be destroyed on the basis of suspicions because obviously His Excellency is a very busy person, he does not have time to spend four hours on Facebook, he acts on advice, Nchunga said.

“I would plead with the advisors to the president, the PSP and the directors to stop firing people on the basis of some of this advice. Call the person. If somebody has endured working for 37 years, surely that person showed loyalty to public service, call them, sit down and say, give us your version.

“I really want to plead on behalf of the Permanent Secretaries because I know a lot of them and some are my friends, their lives have been destroyed because of a one-sided story.

“You cannot run the country out of anger. Anger has never built a nation, friendship, family and a marriage. Let us learn to talk, Ntwakgolo keya molomo”, meaning it is better to jaw-jaw, than to war-war.

Nchunga said at one stage he nearly got tempted to hire people to do the songs using pseudonyms. "But, then after evaluating I said this is a project which I believe is the legacy that I will like to leave. Even if I was to depart this world tomorrow I am leaving a legacy of having sung songs which changed the nation."

“I am trying to show people that we can build the nation through love, not resentment, disrespect, insulting our leaders just because of our political affiliation and I believe that maturity calls for all of us to know that we can celebrate our leaders.

“Let me give you a good example, I am not a card carrying member of the BCP, but when Saleshando makes those robust interventions, I feel he is protecting my democracy. I feel very strongly that there is nothing wrong in me celebrating him as a national leader”.

Nchunga argues that he is also neither a friend nor an acquaintance of former president Khama, but “this is a man who leaves impeccable incomparable legacy. He protected me as Commander of BDF. He transformed BDF to become a professional army

“He was one of the best VPs. The moment he came in, he introduced discipline. You will never dare arrive at his meeting late. Obviously he left an impeccable legacy as president.

“This is a man who went to each and every village and poured his heart to ordinary Motswana giving out gifts, coming out with initiatives. He was so much on the ground.

This is a man who loves his people and there is no how I can allow myself to die without celebrating such an icon and such a legacy”.

On Masisi, Nchunga says, “I do not think there is anybody in Botswana who loves Masisi like me. Why do I say that? Since he became president, I have sung eight (8) songs. I am not using BDP money. He is the only one of whom I said Sisiboy, kea mo rata, o baakanya Lehatshe”.

Nchunga fears that there is a “pandemic of toxic sectarian party politics”, which he fears is dividing the nation, even in the public service.

“You can see that people are divided because you have to be seen to be supporting a party, so it’s no longer about the nation or about the country, it is about belonging to an organisation and this creates tension in the country”.

Speaking further about his new album he said the project is about killing the pandemic of secretarial politics of disrespect, insulting leaders and opponents.

“There is no how somebody can turn around and say, I am politicking. The allegation should be backed by evidence, of course you know me, I am not afraid of anybody or anything. I am not intimidated by what people would say.”