BDF names crash victims
Pini Bothoko | Thursday February 16, 2017 16:15
The three died last Thursday evening after their aircraft crashed in mid-flight in the general area of Thebephatswa Airbase after take-off.
The downed aircraft was scheduled to transport Vice President, Mokgweetsi Masisi to Tsabong that evening to attend the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) National Youth League congress.
Yesterday, the BDF’s director of protocol and public affairs, Colonel Tebo Dikole identified the deceased as Captain Lebogang Dinyao from Serowe, Captain Rinick Makobo from Tshidilamolomo and Corporal Dintle Dichaba from Shashe Bridge near Tonota.
He said investigations regarding the cause of the accident are still ongoing. Dikole said funeral arrangements have not yet been finalised.
Dikole told Mmegi’s sister paper, The Monitor last week that the aircraft, had just left Thebephatshwa airbase for Gaborone when it crashed.
Preliminary reports suggest the aircraft was among the BDF’s aging fleet, for which the military is requesting billions of pula to upgrade.