Fired prisons boss reeling in shock

Daniel Chida
SACKED: Motlalekgosi

“I was coming from a leave”- Motlalekgosi

Fired Commissioner of Prisons, Colonel Silas Motlalekgosi has accepted the controversial decision to relieve him of his duties although it came as a shock.

Motlalekgosi’s dismissal letter dated 4th February 2021 and signed by Permanent Secretary to the President, Elias Magosi, states that the President has exercised the powers vested in him by Section 8 of the Prisons (Amendment) Act No. 14 of 2017 to retire him from Botswana Prisons Service with immediate effect.

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Although the decision to retire Motlalekgosi from a position he occupied since 2008 seems to have caught him by surprise, the former commissioner told this publication that he has accepted his fate.

In a brief interview Motlalekgosi said that he was not warned or informed about the move in advance.

“I was on leave and reported for duty on Monday where I was told to go to Office of the President (OP) the following day.”

He said that on arrival at OP he was informed of the decision taken and left.

“I have accepted their decision and will be waiting for further communication from them,” he said.

However Motlalekgosi’s fate has been long coming following reports that he had maintained a suspicious relationship with the past Ian Khama administration.

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In 2019, this publication carried a story in which Motlalekgosi’s visit to former DIS agent Wilhelmina Mphoeng Maswabi at the Women’s Prisons was questioned.

He is said to have called Maswabi on the phone on more than one occasion within a short period of time.

His subordinates are alleged to have once complained that their boss was giving Maswabi some favours, which included having her isolated from other prisoners during her incarceration.

That arrangement caused concern amongst some officials, who suspected that their boss could have been used to pass messages between former DIS boss, Isaac Kgosi and Maswabi.

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