BDF is sitting on an HR time bomb

Richard Moleofe | Friday September 4, 2015 15:28

The US has had such an exercise much earlier right after the fall of Communism. Their force reduction exercise was known as the drawdown.

This project affected all other NATO forces because the perceived threat was now gone.

The reduction of manpower automatically translated into loads and loads of redundant yet still useful military hardware.  The US had a lot more of such, but this was out of reach because the final approval of transfer of arms to a third country required the approval of congress.

At the time they had put a lid on the whole of southern Africa.

Interestingly the BDF benefitted generously from this exercise as the Dutch dumped their equipment on us at such very low cost it bordred on the margins of a free gift.

This exercise was done through the connection of the US embassy in Gaborone. Lieutenant Colonel Zeke Molefe who was Botswana’s Defence Attaché in London did a sterling job in the choice of useful military hardware that BDFcould still put to good use.

The big question here is why countries decide to go the hard way of laying down their forces.

In all developed countries, the human resource factor comes before any considerations of arms purchase and the procurement of all other military equipment. Everything revolves around personnel and not the other way around.

And what is BDF doing to present the best care for its troops? Before we get into answering this question, we all need to understand that all these other forces I have mentioned are guided by an effective National Security Strategy.

Throughout my discussion of our defence and security apparatus in the coming months, I will often refer the reader to this nonexistent document.

We desperately need to get ourselves a policy in place because it is a guideline to many aspects of defence and security. It informs all other decisions and planning considerations.

BDF has a modest troop population for the size of our economy. I would argue for a slight increase of these forces only if we have a National Security Strategy in place. The absence of this document is currently affecting the morale of our troops.

Their welfare has been placed after the procurement of arms and other equipment. In developed countries this is not the case because human resource is far more important than equipment.

This past week, The Business Weekly and Review newspaper carried a front page story on BDF’s procurement of fighter jets. In as much as the media is sniffing for stories around the issues of procurement, there is never a story they can tell about how commanders and their political principals are doing to improve the welfare of the men and women at the barracks.

Because of the absence of the National Security Strategy, things are done haphazardly and the biggest consideration is on how the businessman/politician can get a cut in this and that military procurement. The welfare of the men and women who are going to be the end-users of this equipment is never a consideration.

Cost benefit analysis is part of an intelligent procurement exercise. When it is applied, it will always put the foot soldier in the final equation.

In the past, it seemed Botswana was going that direction during the Masire administrative government.

The building of Thebephatshwa Airbase is a case in point.. When the planning was done, the planners put a lot of consideration on the human resource aspect.

There are several facilities in place that were created for the comfort of the servicemen and women who would spend a considerable amount of their lives at this airbase.

It is a world class facility that foreigners often marvel at its sight. Anyway, I am personally not surprised at this meticulous planning because it is a retired British officer who was at the drawing board.

I am at pains to say this but it is that unpalatable truth that needs to be told. For many years BDF has ignored the welfare of its troops. This is not said to antagonise the troops with their commanders, but rather to ring a wakeup bell closest to the ears of the politicians on this matter.

In the early years of its establishment, BDF was a serious employer who offered mouth- watering remuneration for its personnel. The organisation could recruit from any private and public enterprises save for De Beers Botswana.

Conversely, it was only the diamond company that could recruit from BDF. Over the years this has been watered down because successive commanders failed to notice the fact that salaries at BDF were overtaken by time and events of the reality of our economy. It is commonplace that any institution can recruit at will from the ranks of our military. Even government departments are stripping our military organisation  to the bone in as far as human resource migration is concerned.

Government needs to urgently review the state of our security forces and that should include Police, Prisons and BDF.

In all fairness, BDF should be allowed to experience a somewhat steady and progressive natural growth but the reality on the ground is different.

Because over the years BDF has managed to groom much-disciplined soldiers, the only way they are showing their displeasure is by voting with their feet.

The rate at which soldiers are separating with the organisation is alarming and government needs to arrest the situation right away.