DIS Chief takes a swipe at the media

Director General of the Directorate on Intelligence Security Services ( DIS), Brigadier Peter Magosi launched an attack on the media in what could be another attempt to either tone down or muzzle the Fourth Estate. Magosi’s latest bashing of the media at the ongoing 5th Public Accounts Committee ( PAC) examination comes as a shock from a man who upon taking office promised to be transparent and work closely with the media. Magosi said he is disturbed by the fact that Batswana seem to be losing their culture, adding that at the beginning of his tenure in office he addressed all media houses, emphasising the importance of working well together. “I told them that our job as the state security is to secure the nation, and your job as the media is to inform the nation- as well as to be the watchdog against us- meaning that where we go wrong the media must expose us”.

Magosi said it is common nowadays to see false reports that detail pieces of equipment that the DIS has, some of which does not exist. “I do not think we have any problem with being accused of any wrongs, but, my problem is why are we killing our own country? As DIS we tried by all means to be as open as possible, but still, it is our people who seem to be on the attack”. Magosi dismissed allegations that they use electronic communication to spy on some people’s homes. He explained that the DIS would not do anything outside the legal framework that governs their activities. In relation to national elections, Magosi outrightly said the DIS does not have any relations with elections. However, he acknowledged that there has been so much speculation about their involvement in the previous elections of 2019. “But, similarly nobody has ever stood up and pointed out having any evidence on the wrong that DIS has committed during elections,” he said, adding that the DIS has been accused of having rigged the elections.