BDF garrison for Gantsi
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday February 1, 2017 18:00
Speaking at the seventh meeting of the third Ntlo Ya Dikgosi, Kgathi said his Ministry will spend over P2 billion on putting up the infrastructure development. Kgathi said the garrison will help to decongest some of the garrisons like Sir Seretse Khama Barracks and Francistown camps garrisons that are over-crowded.
He said over 800 soldiers would be transferred to that new garrison. The soldiers would be taken from both SSKB and Francistown garrisons.
“We want to build a garrison of more permanent structures like in Selebi Phikwe and Francistown. Our soldiers have children who have to go to the hospitals and the townships to support them,” he said.
Kgathi highlighted that soldiers living in the mentioned military camps were not living under favourable conditions.
“Imagine having to live in tents throughout your working years. Our soldiers because they are committed to their job and ensuring that this country is protected have to endure this situation,” he said.
However, he told the House that they did not have enough funds to build permanent structures in all the garrisons across the country due to lack or shortage of funds. He explained that running the army was expensive contrary to the view of some people that funding or allocating money to the defence was a waste.
He said such people must refrain from that illusion as they (Ministry) have spent a lot of money in various developments such as infrastructure, tourism, roads, mining and protection of the wildlife and heritage. He further noted that he would continue urging the Parliament to increase his Ministry’s budget.
“For over 50 years, the current index has shown that Botswana is the leading, peaceful and violence-free nation. We are lucky to have maintained peace and tranquility this far as it is a prestige to other African countries,” he said.
Kgathi who was responding Kgosi Peter Chika III of Chobe Region’s motion of setting up a permanent military camp at Parakarungu, he said it was not yet feasible due to budget constrains. However, he said he was aware of the situation at Parakarungu garrison.
In his presentation, Chika requested Ntlo Ya Dikgosi to request the Government to set up a permanent military camp at the camp along the Linyanti-Savuti and Shaile borders.
“I urge this House to support this motion because as we know the area has high criminal cases. We need the military camp to help us fight and prevent crime in the area.
However, I am mostly concerned about the living conditions that our soldiers at the camp live in. they do not have power, stay in tents and as a result store their food in nearby schools,” he said.
Chika said the soldiers at Parakarungu camp were staying in tents that made their lives hard more especially in unfavourable weather conditions.
He also pleaded with the Government to increase soldiers in the area, as there were high criminal activities such as poaching which he believed was done by criminals from the neighbouring countries. For his part, Specially Elected Kgosi Moffat Sinvula said it was high time the Government protected the soldiers despite knowing that their job description involved working in harsh conditions.
He added that the criminals from neighbouring countries camped in some parts of Parakarungu and neighbouring areas where they do their criminal acts.
The House supported the motion.