In what would shake the entire country, President Mokgweetsi Masisi fired Isaac Kgosi as Director General of spy body DISS this Wednesday morning, and immediately replaced him with Brigadier Peter Magosi. The first announcement of Kgosi’s sacking was made on Radio Botswana just before noon, and the announcement would be repeated several times with Botswana Television also announcing the sacking on the lunch time bulletin.
No immediate reason for his sacking was shared but popular opinion is that Kgosi has not only reached the retirement age of 60, but also that Masisi wanted to run with a man not tainted with his predecessor’s past. Kgosi’s replacement is former Botswana Defence Force Chief of Staff and Commander of the Ground Forces. He was himself fired from the army in 2015 by former President Ian Khama in what was believed to be a relation scuffle between himself and army Commander Gaolatlhe Galebotswe as well as with Kgosi.
Kgosi became head of DISS on April 1, 2008 when former president Khama also ascended to the presidency. Reports coming in from the Government Enclave indicate that Masisi transferred the responsibility of handing Kgosi his letter to Permanent Secretary to the President Carter Morupisi. Kgosi is said to have immediately gone back to his office where he reportedly moved his stuff. He is expected to start his official hand over to Magosi from tomorrow, Thursday, and Magosi should be ready to roll by the start of next week.
There had been reports in recent months that just before Khama stepped down, he offered Kgosi a contract extension of five years, an assrtion he refuted recently at his PAC appearance where information emerged that he was actually hired on a permanent and pensionable basis. A lot of Batswana received his sacking with excitement after there had been a feeling that Kgosi was abobe the law and therefore untouchable. His recent remarks that he does not report to anyone also irked many he saw him as the ultimate most powerful figure in the country.
SWEPT OFF: Isaac Kgosi was fired this Wednesday as DIS Spy Chief
