Who is the PSP PROTECTING?

“She is protecting those facing corruption probe, hence removing DCEC intelligence head”- claim
The DCEC recently confirmed that it was investigating some senior govt officials

DITIRO MOTLHABANE

Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP), Emma Peloetletse has come under heavy criticism following controversial developments at the Government Enclave where she abruptly transferred the head of intelligence at the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC), Tshepo Pilane only to reverse the decision four days later.

On 15^th May 2025, Peloetletse had notified Pilane about the intention to transfer him to the Ministry of Higher Education to take up the post of Director, Department of Technical and Vocational Education Training. He was, therefore, given seven days to respond to the intention to transfer him by making some representation if he intended to. In a shocking turn of events, 24 hours later, Peloetletse changed her mind and wrote another letter now announcing that Pilane’s transfer was with immediate effect.

However, four days later, on 20^th May 2025 the PSP wrote: “I hereby withdraw the transfer letter and re-instate the intention to transfer and allow you to make any representations. The mistake is highly regrettable”.

Many suspect that Pilane may have been handling sensitive investigations against high-ranking government officials, which led to his hasty transfer, now marred in controversy. Late last year, in September 2024 Pilane made headlines after he accused Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS), Peter Magosi of threatening to kill him. At the time, Pilane was said to be conducting an investigation on corruption allegations against Magosi.

His transfer is therefore not a new occurrence, as the practice of transferring DCEC agents investigating high profile cases involving senior government officials or persons of interest is legendary under the former Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) administrations. At the height of corruption allegations and misappropriation of funds at the filthy rich Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF), between 2015- 2020 numerous agents were transferred out of the DCEC, some sent to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) while handling such cases.

For example, in 2018, the then PSP Carter Morupisi, transferred out the late Deputy Director General Eugene Wasetso and Malebogo Zilberman who were in charge of the CMB case, followed later by others like Andrea German and even Director General Bruno Paledi.

At the time, Morupisi -who is currently serving a seven-year jail term for corruption and money laundering, was the Director in the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM). DCEC employees fall under the civil service controlled by DPSM and as Director DPSM, Morupisi was the head of civil service. He also doubled as BPOPF Board Chairman. On the other hand, Peloetletse was the Accountant General, and also a BPOPF Board member (Chairperson of the Investment Committee).

Both Morupisi and Peloetletse have been implicated in the controversial P440 million saga at BPOPF, where Capital Management Botswana (CMB) led by Rapula Okaile and Timothy Marsland siphoned millions from the pension under the Botswana Opportunities Partnership (BOP) arrangement– an investment vehicle set up specifically for local private equity (a Botswana only investment in private businesses).

Although the BPOPF Board of Trustees, then led by Deputy Police Commissioner Solomon Mantswe reported Peloetletse to the DCEC for investigation, following revelations that she benefitted from a sponsorship from CMB Directors – a paid holiday to Cape Town with her husband Joe and some trade union leaders from Botswana Public Employees Union (BOPEU), no action has ever been taken. In fact, at the height of the allegations against Peloetletse, former President Mokgweetsi Masisi promoted her from Accountant General to Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President.

Some observers warn that Pilane is not off the hook yet, as the letter from the PSP has only accorded him an opportunity to make representations, that is, to show cause why he should not be transferred out of the DCEC to the Ministry of Education as Director TVET.

They argue that Peloetletse can still use what is commonly known at Government Enclave as “Exigency of Service” to remove Pilane from DCEC regardless of his representations or reasons motivating the contrary. Exigency of service refers to an unforeseen situation or urgent demand within the context of providing a service that requires immediate action, often preventing or delaying the usual course of events.

Political interference at the DCEC is partly fueled by weak statutes that fail to gift the graft busting agency some powers and independence. For example, although Section 4/3 of the Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (CECA) appears to give the DCEC Director General some powers and autonomy, in compliance to international guide for anti-corruption policies, the same is taken away by Section 15/2 which empowers the President to stop any DCEC staff member from accessing “…any books, records, returns, reports or other documents, or data stored electronically, or to enter upon any premises, place, vessel, boat, aircraft or other vehicle if in the opinion of the President in writing such access or entry is likely to prejudice national security”.