Does Botswana need a standing army? (Part 1)
Friday, November 27, 2015
This raises the question of whether Botswana needs a standing army. I spend a good 20 years as an officer in Botswana’s military and for the number of years I spent there, I am completely convinced that Botswana does not need a standing army.
In Part 2, I will argue for the need for a standing army and for me that is being a devil’s advocate. In the following episodes subsequent to that, I will bring a discussion on how we could trim and equip a lean defence force. Botswana government took a decision to establish Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in 1976 and implemented through an act of parliament the following year.
The BDP as a party known to have ample resources has always held its primaries well in time, but this time around that was not the case. The first leg of the primaries was held last weekend, with the final leg being billed for the coming weekend. This time around, the BDP failed to shine in its primary elections. The elections were chaotic; most if not all polling stations didn't open at the specified time of 6am. Loyal BDP members braved the...