Is Botswana’s Proposed New Intelligence Dispensation a Threat To The Constitutional Rights Of Its Citizens?
The government of Botswana has confirmed that it intends to establish a Directorate of Intelligence and Security. Bill number 23 of 2006 published in the Government Gazette of November 3 2006, states that a Central Intelligence Committee, a National Intelligence Community and a Security Council will have oversight over the directorate. A Director General under the Office of the President will head the Directorate of Intelligence and Security. The directorate will be empowered to arrest a person without warrant if there is reasonable suspicion that the person has committed or is about to commit an offence covered under the bill. Any person who threatens to kill, kidnap or inflict bodily harm upon the President, the Vice President, a former president or their immediate families shall be guilty of an offence under the bill. The primary role of the directorate will be to investigate, gather, coordinate, evaluate, correlate, interpret, disseminate and store information whether inside or out
