DANGER ZONE Mabeo’s Bold Stand Sparks Security Fears
The political storm swirling around Gamalete MP Boniface Mabeo has taken a chilling turn. After grilling the Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Peter Magosi, in a televised Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session, Mabeo says he has been flooded with calls and messages warning him to watch his back.
The fiery legislator clashed head‑on with Magosi yesterday, in an interrogation session that was as heated as it was revealing, with the DIS boss calling for Mabeo to be professional in his engagement.
What had begun as Mabeo’s relentless questioning of procurement details surrounding Tautona Lodge near Gantsi quickly escalated into a dramatic confrontation. Magosi, visibly angered, snapped at the MP: “How do you know that I am lying? No, No. You cannot talk to me like that.” But Mabeo stood his ground, reminding the intelligence chief that Parliament is not a command post: “This is not DIS operations where you can command as you wish.”
The clash came against the backdrop of Mabeo’s broader accusations — that Magosi was conflicted in promoting his wife from a C2 scale to an E2 scale position, that he had embarked on a P330,000 overseas trip with her and other DIS officers which Mabeo branded a “honeymoon outing disguised as DIS work,” and that he had defied court rulings by refusing to reintegrate military officers seconded to the DIS.
Those officers, taxpayers are reminded, continue to get DIS salaries and have so far pocketed over P8 million in salaries while sitting idle, a situation Magosi defended by saying he no longer trusts them. “For as long as I am the DG, they will not work for the DIS,” Magosi declared.
Mabeo’s fury extended to the UDC government itself, which he accused of treating Magosi with “kids’ gloves” despite previously despising him. In one of the most memorable lines of the televised PAC session, Mabeo declared: “They can’t deal with him because now he has got them by the scrotum.” He was subsequently asked to withdraw the words by PAC Chairperson MP Taolo Lucas, with Lobatse MP Kamal Jacobs adding that the utterance was derogatory and therefore not helpful to their work.
But the drama has not ended in Parliament. This Tuesday morning, Mabeo took to Facebook with a post that has since set tongues wagging. He explained that one of the reasons he left his job twice to contest for political office was because he felt Parliament and the PAC were too soft on corruption.
He said he risked everything to become the change he wanted to see, insisting: “I do not hate anyone! I am simply after the truth… I deal with what I hate – corruption, unfairness, blatant misuse of public funds.”
Yet, since his PAC showdown, he revealed he has been inundated with calls and messages warning him to be careful with his security. The chilling advice included: “Bring your own water from now on!” and “Do not eat unless you dished for yourself.”
However, Mabeo insists he is safe, declaring: “Ke Mfana wa ga LORD JESUS.” He urged Batswana to intensify prayer for the country, for leaders, and for corrupt individuals to be brought to book, while also asking believers to pray for him personally: “Pray also for your servant, BLANCHERO, Mfana wa ga LORD JESUS.”
The undertone of his post is unmistakable. This is a man who sees himself as one who risked everything to confront corruption but now faces whispers of danger. His clash with Magosi, his accusations of arrogance and misuse of public funds, and his call for prayer all combine into a narrative that is both sensational and sobering.
The big question now is whether Mabeo’s bold stand against entrenched power is putting him in harm’s way, or whether this is simply the paranoia that comes with challenging the untouchables. Either way, the PAC fireworks have spilled far beyond Parliament, and Mabeo’s words suggest he knows the stakes are higher than ever.
