02 Apr 2019

Director general of  the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DIS), Brigadier Peter Magosi, says his institution’s cooperation with similar minded units or agecies should not be something to worry about.

Addressing Ghanzi District Council recently, he said, the general perception that DIS encroached into other departments’ responsibilities was off the mark, adding that collaboration was based on inter-agency cooperation.

“During such collaborations, DIS operates with other departments on equal level,” he stated.

He argued that operating in silos was a waste of the nation’s resources, adding that it also impeded on information flow, created some gaps and led to duplication of efforts and resources.

Brigadier Magosi said DIS had sophisticated surveying equipment, which could be used by other government departments such as security forces, land boards and department of surveys if they worked as team, but working in silos, each department would have to procure own equipment.

He appealed to public to have confidence on them, saying they exist to serve the nation diligently, without fear or favour, so as to build a reputable organization.

Corruption, drugs trafficking, money laundering and stock theft, Brigadier Magosi said,  were some of the issues on their radar, but adding that terrorism could not be ignored.

He explained that patterns of corruption in councils and central government were similar and usually happened at procurement level where some officials exerted undue influence on the processes.

He said government lossed billions of pulas very year due to corruption.

Responding to Councillor Thato Tshweneyagae enquiry about DIS capacity to deal with cybercrimes, he said such was a challenge in SADC countries, but said he was happy that it had become a topic of interest in the region and DIS was doing its best to address the phenomenon.

On stock theft in Ghanzi region, the director general said if they could be furnished with full scale report they could see how they could help address the situation.

Responding to a concern that DIS arrested people without warrant of arrests, he answered to the contrary.

“All arrests done during my tenure as the director general were done with warrant of arrest,” he said. ENDS