Police, soldiers deserve better from politicians

They become masters and we, the masters, become servants. They dominate our public discourse and only account to themselves. They sell dreams and offer just that, dreams (some shattered).

Parliament recently sat and had a debate on the amendment to the Police Act and the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Act. There was a motion tabled that sought an amendment to the Police Act and the BDF Act in respect of full pay under interdiction. The status quo is that a soldier or a Police Officer who has been interdicted pending a disciplinary hearing is not entitled to a full salary and is only remunerated half of his or her salary. The Acts are in divergence and difference to other public servants’ Act to the extent that those in public service are allowed full pay whilst on interdiction or suspension, whereas soldiers and police officers receive half pay on interdiction.