Following last week’s crackdown on The Botswana Gazette by government, and the vehement denial by the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) of neither knowing the deported Zambian national Jerry Chitube, nor having had any dealings with him, new allegations have revealed connections between Chitube, the Tembo brothers and the DISS.
This publication can confirm that on the eve of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) National Youth Executive Council (NYEC) elections, Chitube was bungled by security agents and later deported to Zambia. The explanation given to this publication was that he was involved in some fraudulent dealings and possessed fake identity cards (Omangs).
The DISS Director General Isaac Kgosi has since distanced himself from Chitube stating that the DISS has never engaged in any illegal dealings with him.
However, The Botswana Gazette investigations have unearthed information that reveals Kgosi’s narration about Chitube’s dealings with the Tembo brothers and what allegedly transpired the night before Harry Tembo was killed in Phakalane.
Investigations by The Botswana Gazette have also revealed an alleged web of ‘dodgy’ business interests surrounding the Tembo brothers, their alleged Botswana Defence Force (BDF) tenders and the deal sweeteners claimed to have been given to Kgosi.
In another leak that has since been subject to public scrutiny, the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crimes (DCEC) docket’s investigations on Kgosi revealed a relationship that can be traced back to 2006 when Kgosi contracted Tembo to build his house in Phakalane Estates.
Kgosi, then Private Secretary to President Khama, had together with his wife taken out a loan from Barclays Bank to build their house. The allegedly two fell out when Kgosi discovered that Tembo had been stealing money from the loan account, meant for the construction of the house. Tembo, however, was broke and could not pay back the money he had stolen from Kgosi. Curiously, around 2007, when Kgosi was still with the Office of the President (OP), Tembo landed contracts with OP and started writing out cheques to Kgosi.
In its reports, the Sunday Standard had alleged that when Kgosi moved from the Office of the President to set up the DISS, Tembo was contracted to supply most of the spy agency’s IT equipment and he continued signing cheques to Kgosi. The alleged cheques Tembo wrote to Kgosi amounted to more than P500 000. The time he was murdered, Tembo still owed Kgosi about P80 000 and was a potential witness in the DCEC investigations against Kgosi.
Information seen by The Botswana Gazette alleges that from 2008 Chitube had a business deal with Harry Tembo’s brother, Bernard Tembo.
Leaks seen allege that Chitube was a shareholder in a company called Ignite along with Bernard Tembo. They also allege that the mother of Chitube’s child (names withheld) was a proxy director for him since her being a citizen reportedly made business easier for the duo.
The information also alleges that when Chitube was in financial troubles, Bernard helped him to sell his car and gave him a job.
Bernard was sub contracted at the Glen Valley barracks to deliver kerb stones and at the time Chitube was employed under him as an office manager before he was moved to deal with the kerb stones for the company.
The leaks allege that Bernard Tembo had established a working relationship with two men in high positions (names withheld) at the Botswana Housing Corporation (BHC) who pushed deals for him from the inside.
“Now the funny thing is that most of these projects were always BDF projects (sic)” the information alleges.
Information seen lays claims that the BHC insiders pushed payments and often called Bernard to collect the cheques. Efforts to contact Bernard were futile at the time of press since he is said to have fled fearing for his life after his brother, Harry, was hacked to death.
Landmark Services, a company which directorship the publication could not establish, always got given the construction projects and it always subcontracted Bernard for the roads projects, it is alleged.
This publication is informed that at some point Chitube and his girlfriend went to freeze company accounts after Bernard failed to cough up payment for the jobs done. It is alleged that when the dispute exploded, it then emerged that there was, “a big guy in the intelligence that had to be given a cut.”
Information seen contends that after the dispute Chitube was paid for his car and his girlfriend was bought out of the company for P20 000.
Investigations can, however, establish that Chitube and Harry were drinking buddies who met a lot at The Boulevard, or Club House at the Phakalane Golf Estate.
Every time they met, it is alleged, the topic of discussion was always tenders and cars while gulping expensive vodka.
One interesting narration alleges that on the day before Harry was killed, Seaketso Moreki, the alleged illegal diamond dealer, introduced Chitube to Kgosi for the first time at the Club House.
“When we were done with the meeting, Moreki told me that if we proved ourselves we will be directly linked to that man, meaning Kgosi,” Chitube alleges in the leaks.
Kgosi has since issued a statement distancing the DISS from illegal activities with Chitube but leaks seen by this publication allege otherwise.
Efforts to reach Chitube for co mment still remain futile ever since his deportation but the leaks further allege that on that night Chitube then left to continue frolicking and imbibing at Boulevard.
He is quoted in the leaks testifying to an unidentified source mentioning that he then heard about Harry’s death the following morning from a friend. He also alleges that on the night before he (Chitube) met Kgosi, Harry was locked in conversation with him (Kgosi).