Police spymaster Busang Lesola reportedly bids to lead Botswana's DIS
Deputy Commissioner Busang Lesola, who runs Crime Intelligence, is reportedly among those considered to succeed Peter Magosi at the Directorate of Intelligence and Security.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Busang Lesola, who runs Crime Intelligence at the Botswana Police Service, is reportedly angling to become Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS). The agency has been led almost without exception by military figures since it was created in 2008 under former President Ian Khama. Information reaching Weekend Post indicates Mr Lesola is among those under consideration to succeed Peter Magosi, whose tenure ended last month in a departure the paper describes as controversial and unceremonious.
Those familiar with the process say Mr Lesola's name has been weighed with favour, his appeal resting on a grounded temperament, a steady character and experience in gathering intelligence. Several other names have reportedly been put before the Office of the President, including former DIS officials who left after Mr Magosi was installed by former President Mokgweetsi Masisi in 2018, and several candidates with military backgrounds.
Within the governing Umbrella for Democratic Change, one faction is understood to favour a police candidate, arguing fresh leadership could steady an institution battered by controversy. Another wants to keep the tradition of drawing the agency's head from the armed forces. Two UDC sources who spoke anonymously told Weekend Post the succession should be used to rethink the agency's mandate, leadership and culture, and conceded demands for reform were not unreasonable.
Why it mattersThe contest pits a police candidate against the military tradition that has led the DIS, and the choice will decide who runs the agency's intelligence work.