Military should be more inclusive

The unfortunate incident also occurred at a time when media reports were awash with headlines that indicated government’s intention to spend a significant amount of pulas to procure military equipment, which has triggered mixed reactions from the public. Some of the arguments raised include a position that the country needs not to spend such amounts of money on military during peace time at home and in the region. Some arguments have been to the effect that the Government should focus on educating young Batswana for future economic prosperity of the country.

The air crash coincided with a strike by students of the University of Botswana who were expressing their discontent over delayed payment of their living allowances. We are of the view that, while military procurement is a highly sensitive area, that should not be used as a scapegoat for some individuals to loot the country’s resources in the name of ‘security reasons’.