Welcoming the BDF Commander to 2017
Richard Moleofe | Friday January 13, 2017 15:27
For BDF, the party is not over. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the defence force and once again this is going to be a repeat of the jubilee celebrations in one way or the other.
The pomp and ceremony will almost be equal except that government has not fully acceded to the request for millions of pula to be splashed by the defence force.
Even though the coordinators are asked to match the jubilee celebrations, there is no sufficient funds for that and the soldiers are crying foul. It is indeed rare for government to withhold anything from BDF.
The BDF Commander has just resumed his new role as the man at the top of the military organisation. But this year, there are several challenges ahead of him. And the road is not going to be easy.
The first issue that needs to be addressed is with regard to the salaries of soldiers. There has been several attempts from as far back as the days of Lt Gen Matshwenyego Fisher. This general was so close to closing a salary deal with government to a point where he advised soldiers to purchase new wallets.
Lt Gen Gaolatlhe Galebotswe worked so hard behind the scenes and not many have come to know about the goodies he was trying to bring on board for every soldier and officer. It is a pity he left too early. He had proposed the best deal for soldiers even though it never saw the light of day.
Soldiers’ remuneration must occupy the number one spot in the list of priorities that Lt Gen Placid Segokgo has in his resolutions for the new year. This is something he must not ignore. Soldiers don’t belong to labour unions which normally act as pressure groups. Therefore the leadership of the establishment must have their interests at heart.
Lt Gen Segokgo is a very professional man in all respects. I have no doubt that he will continue to uphold the high standards of training and discipline within the BDF. It’s pity that most people in this country still don’t know that our defence force is one of the best in Africa and to some extent can compete well with overseas militaries.
Being aware of the hefty military budget that Botswana is carrying forward into the National Development Plan, the Commander must draw a balance between the purchase of world class equipment and world class salaries. There will be absolutely no point in procuring expensive weapon system from developed countries while leaving our own soldiers a little above the poverty datum line. And that is what is the case at the moment.
There are several pending issues that the Commander will need to attend to as matter of urgency. First on the line of firing for the Commander is the pending issue of military doctrine. For BDF to be competitive as a world class military establishment, they will need to get over this matter.
The high calibre team that has been selected in the past to deal with this matter has to bring their efforts to fruition.
The review of the BDF Act is another issue that will have to be brought to a close this year. Of course it was necessary for the organization to review its statutes because some elements of the old Act have been overtaken by time and circumstances.
BDF has since employed women and their roles and functions need to be thoroughly clarified. Not only that, but we are also looking for more regulations that seek to protect the rights of women. We are living in a cultural background where women matter less, and of course the macho military cannot escape being part of this archaic practice.
There is a growing issue of tender rigging in government and BDF is no exception. The Commander needs to call upon the Christian churches to come and exorcise this stubborn ghost. Some soldiers are living off the proceeds of this contemptible practice.
Your soldiers await with much apprehension the report on the abused Welfare Fund money. The siphoned moneys also concern us the ex-soldiers because the fund was created with our money.
Those intentions of serving the needs and welfare of soldiers have been thrown out of the window.
What came in to place is now personal and selfish interest of certain individuals. Anyone who seeks to destroy the fund is not worthy of serving in the honourable military establishment of this nation. These vultures only belong to the darkest abyss of our penitentiary system. And that is where Lt Gen Segokgo needs to send them one after another.
The Commander must not allow himself to be used by those outside the military who seek to milk this country dry through the purchase of military hardware. End of the story.
The Commander should seek to work with a team that supports his efforts of leadership. There must be a strong consolidation of teamwork. The fact that BDF has been undergoing organizational restructuring almost after every commander leaving is a clear diagnosis that there is no continuity of leadership regarding commanders.
We are all looking forward to the 40th anniversary celebrations. For the last four decades, BDF has achieved a great deal from being a rag tag army of 60 officers and men to being the enviable military organisation it is now.
Over time BDF has alienated itself from the public. The only public shows BDF puts up these days is the countrywide concerts and the famous BDF Day. The public needs that participation in Agric shows as part of civil military relations improvement.