Army boss warns politicians
Bame Piet | Wednesday June 11, 2014 07:00
Galebotswe said the problem started after Botswana’s neighbours in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe completed their liberation struggle wars.
“The government has been reluctant to invest in defence structures ever since the end of liberation wars in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The equipment is not enough and some soldiers have spent about 20 years living in tents, yet we hear politicians arguing against resourcing BDF,” he said.
He said that in the early years of the army, the government made sure that the army was resourced, enabling it to take part in peace-keeping missions abroad. However, that is no longer the case. The BDF Commander said that availing resources for the army no longer seems to be a priority and this is why the BDF can no longer take part in such assignments, and is even struggling to deal with local demands for service. He warned that the government should avail resources for the BDF before it is too late.
Galebotswe also added that the time has come for Botswana to mark its presence in international duties beyond diplomacy.
“Yes, we’ve been out for too long and it’s high time we play our part from the diplomatic side and in the field.
“For your sons and daughters to play a role in the international arena with their blood,” he said, in response to a question on whether or not he thinks Botswana should take part in peace-keeping missions.
On the hot topic of politicians canvassing for votes inside army establishments or camps, Galebotswe said the BDF Act is very clear that the army barracks are sacred and not for politicians to conduct political rallies or house-to-house campaigns.
“It is not me who is saying this, it is the BDF Act passed by honourable members that says this. However, members of the military can attend a political rally outside the barracks, but they are not allowed to ask any questions or respond to political statements,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Galebotswe told PAC members that all is well in the army and that there is harmony contrary to reports of bad blood between him and some of his juniors.
When asked why the BDF public relations office has been keeping quiet in the midst of serious allegations carried in the media, the Commander said they know the facts but are too busy to respond to falsehoods.
“We have important things to do. We don’t want to respond to rumours when there are facts. Responding to the reports is likely to derail us from our core mandate of securing the country,” he said.
However, Galebotswe would not provide answers as to whether there would be any harm in responding to press reports about the BDF, or what criteria they use to respond when they do. He said that they only respond when they feel the integrity of some individuals is under threat. The Commander and his junior, Brigadier Peter Magosi have been in the news following the mysterious disappearance of Military Intelligence spying equipment, in a case which is now at the High Court.
The said disappearance has reportedly divided the army top brass, but Galebotswe denied such division.
“We are concerned about what we hear in the media. As far as I’m concerned, there is no alarm that can be raised in the media”.