The recent killings involving members of the disciplined forces, have raised concerns over the quality of screening during recruitment and the overall operational culture within the armed forces.
Last week, a soldier based at Botswana Defence Force’s (BDF) Thebephatshwa Air Base allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend before turning the gun on himself in Maun. This occurred almost a week after a senior police officer shot and injured a fellow officer from the Department of Internal Affairs at Martins Drift police station. The alleged perpetrator later turned his service rifle on himself.
As if that was not enough, on Tuesday this week, a soldier allegedly shot and injured a police officer who was investigating the assailant’s alleged defilement case. The same soldier is alleged to have shot and killed three people and later set the house they were living in on fire at Kgomokasitwa village.
By Press time on Thursday, the suspect was still at large and the subject of a nationwide manhunt.
These incidents have now somewhat become the “in-thing” in the discipline forces. Back in 2022, the BDF was also hit by recurring incidents of homicide and suicide with some members killing their spouses or girlfriends. The same thing has been observed at the Botswana Police Service (BPS), where male officers have been in the lead, killing their spouses and then turning their service rifles on themselves.
The cases of murder and suicide are common within the space of officers whose duties entail legitimised violence like the security organs who use guns and rifles as part of their lawful duties.
Richard Moleofe is a retired military officer and army chaplain armed with years of exposure into the workings of the armed forces. In an interview with Mmegi, he expressed deep concern over the quality of recruits being admitted into the disciplined forces, especially the army, arguing that the standards have significantly dropped.
“In the past, we had strict and rigorous screening procedures designed to filter out individuals who are unfit for military service.
“Nowadays, people join the army not out of passion or commitment to serving the nation but as a last resort due to the high unemployment rate.
“It also appears as if institutions are more focused on numbers than the calibre of those they enlist,” he said.
Moleofe added: “Decades ago our recruitment was rigorous as it was designed to ensure that only mentally, emotionally and physically fit individuals enter the service. I have observed that today, the majority of them lack discipline and the mental strength required for military service.
“During our time the army was a place of strict discipline, and soldiers were expected to conduct themselves with respect at all times.”
According to the retired chaplain, who is now a kgosi at the Broadhurst Customary Court, training in the BDF used to be wholeheartedly dedicated to building resilience and discipline but of late he has been observing softness in the military where soldiers “exercise their rights” with a sense of entitlement.
He said while human rights are crucial, they should not diminish the training ethos that prepare one for the realities of military service. Moleofe argued that the current system is failing in this regard, hence the need for institutions to introspect and look at what could be the reason behind these escalating murder cases within the discipline forces.
Asked if these incidents used to occur back in the days, Moleofe said if they did occur, it was a shock as they used to take place after a very long time and mostly involved suicide not members of the disciplined forces killing civilians. He expressed belief that the frequent murders are occurring because most members of the disciplined forces are more preoccupied with social life than their core duty to serve the nation. Moleofe argued that the pressures of modern social life, coupled with access to firearms make a dangerous combination.
“When faced with personal conflicts, some soldiers may resort to using weapons as a means of resolving disputes, leading to tragic outcomes.
“BDF used to be an institution that was very strict when it comes to access of guns, but the truth is when a person wants to kill they can do anything to sneak out with a gun.
“I do not think access to guns could be a problem; access to weapons in the military is not a new thing, but soldiers used to be disciplined,” he said.
Moleofe said as a response to suicide cases back in the 90s, then, the military leadership took a decision to address their welfare and introduced sporting activities to keep soldiers busy and healthy. He said that is no longer the case and as a result soldiers tend to be more preoccupied with social life than their duties and tend to copy what happens in the society.
He challenged institutions to undertake comprehensive studies to understand the underlying causes of such behaviour amongst the disciplined forces and to review their recruitment process.
Moleofe said there is a need to reintroduce and strictly enforce rigorous psychological and background checks to ensure that only mentally stable and disciplined individuals are recruited.
“Disciplined forces should investigate how they can eliminate this troubling trend and restore the honour and respect that they should embody,” he said.
“They should also establish stronger mental health programmes to provide counselling and stress management support for members faced with emotional and psychological challenges.
“I believe that with the right forums, the disciplined forces can ensure that incidents of violence become an issue of the past.”
Moreover, he said unit commanders should be trained to pick errant or abnormal behaviour amongst their juniors, stating that when a person is planning to kill, there will be change in their behaviour. A trained superior should be able to pick such behaviours before the situation gets out of control.
“Moreover, there should be stronger disciplinary measures.
“There should be strict consequences for members of the discipline forces who violate ethical codes and misuse service weapons.
“Failure to address these growing concerns could further tarnish the reputation of the disciplined forces and lead to more tragic loss of life.”
