Colonel Dikole is an upper class warrior

Richard Moleofe | Friday August 5, 2016 12:21

As a media person with a wealth of knowledge and background with the military, I was perplexed why his public relations officer went to sleep over such a matter. The matter was not only misleading, but it was also bordering very closely on the margins of the commander’s integrity as a person. 

Living with nostalgia is not helpful most of the time but I am reminded of Colonel Baatweng who would have crafted a sweet response in defence of his commander. I often referred to him as “a man who lies for the commander.“ He was determined to preserve the image of BDF as an organisation and the integrity of its leadership.

I have to raise the same questions regarding the protection of Gen Galebotswe by his PR office and particularly Col Dikole who is at the driving seat of this office. The colonel works with several officers who are experienced in the field and one wonders why they are leaving their commander to the vices of the vultures of the industry.

Last week I wrote in this same space and indicated that the commander’s actions are definitely a total diversion from the current status core in as far as the procurement of military equipment is concerned. There is a longstanding tradition that it is only a chosen few who can become middle men in the supply of equipment and services to our military.

In this case Col Dikole comes out as an upper class warrior who is defending the old establishment that Gen Galebotswe has been trying to dismantle.

Dikole does the fighting on the side of the hawks who have played as middle men for almost the last four decades.

Silence is a powerful tool and that is exactly what Dikole is using. The public will not mind silence from all other quarters of the BDF but not from the PR office.

A response from this office would otherwise rattle the old establishment which is made of men and women who have very strong political links with the ruling elite. This is the cream of the upper class.

When you take oot the middle man from Gen Galebotswe’s equation of arms purchase, you will realise that indeed this is something that this country needed two decades ago. BDF should have gone for the option of procuring the Piranha III at the time when the deal on the Leopard 1 fell off. Instead a hasty decision was made to go for the SK 105 which has never become useful in any way to the defence force.

In future I will discuss the positive aspects of the German made Leopard 1 tank that BDF almost got into a deal with the Dutch over. The deal went sour when the Namibians pulled their strings and convinced Germany that the tanks were going to be used on them. This was around the time when Botswana had some altercations with Namibia over the Sedudu Island on the Chobe River.

Pound for pound, the SK105 is no match for the Piranha III even though the former is a light tank while the latter is an armoured wheeled vehicle. For the terrain and the size of our country, armoured wheeled vehicles are more ideal than tanks. The Swiss made Piranha tops the list of all that BDF would have considered for this latest purchase.

Compared to an SK 105, it is lighter and can reach higher speeds and that is what any force would require for a quick reaction with reasonable armour protection. The latter can be air transported by Hercules C130 with ease. Shorter versions of the Piranha are also air droppable.

Unlike the SK 105, the Piranha has amphibious capabilities.  The current stock that BDF has in their inventory has performed beyond expectation when Major General Morake ran an amphibious exercise in the Okavango with the equipment.

It is a bit insane to compare a tank with an armoured vehicle because they normally would not perform the same role in the battlefield. But the Piranha belongs to a class of its own. Additional armour can be added to protect the more vulnerable areas of the vehicle depending on the use and the existing threat in the area of operation.

Tanks are mostly vulnerable to land mines because of their soft underbelly and the proximity of the belly to the ground. The added armour and the higher clearance on the Piranha makes the SK 105 like a toy in the battlefield.

Botswana is the only country in Africa that has the Piranha in its inventory of armour. Even Egypt which is the continent’s military powerhouse with equipment such as the M1 Abrams tank does not have the Piranha. It is largely used in Europe and the Americas. The US Marine Corps have several versions of the Piranha in service.

The fact that the vehicle is highly regarded in developed countries with a military history that stretches centuries is a clear indication that the Piranha is the real deal.

This vehicle gives BDF endless opportunities because it has very limited restrictions when it comes to the type of weapons systems that can be mounted on it. The list goes all the way from the 7.62mm to the 105mm gun found on the SK 105.

The fact that the Swiss who are the manufacturers of the Piranha still have them in service speaks volumes about the quality of this vehicle. On the other hand, the SK105 has long been out of service in Austria and the rest of Europe.

The deal with the SK 105 has been a total reap off for our nation. It only served the interests of the upper class middle man and his masters.