'Rogue' spy chief axed

The appointment of Peter Magosi as Botswana’s new director-general of intelligence and security to replace ‘rogue’ spy chief Isaac Kgosi has been widely welcomed. President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been commended for firing Kgosi following a spate of extra judicial killings, unlawful arrests, the unexplained disappearance of suspects and the flagrant abuse of state resources. The Patriot reports that the department had become a law unto itself and this was confirmed when Kgosi declared before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee that he did not report to anyone, including the President. The report notes that Kgosi’s dismissal has opened him to investigations.