Soldiers need salary increase

In this column I have on several occasions discussed issues that mainly affect soldiers or are more directly related to the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).

Some of the issues I discuss about the BDF do generally apply to all the armed forces including the Botswana Police Service, Prisons and Rehabilitation Service and the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Service (DISS).

I have elected to address the universal issue of salaries. Even though I will be making much reference on the BDF, the truth of the matter applies to all other services in exclusion of the DISS. The latter has a separate pay structure that surpasses that of many parastatals at home and abroad. Last year, Government announced a three percent increase in the salaries of all non-unionised members of the civil service. A majority of these are found in the four law enforcement establishments listed above. Just last week, Carter Morupisi unilaterally announced a four percent pay increase that was going to all these services. The announcement has had a very short lifespan because the Industrial Court annulled all that on Tuesday.

Editor's Comment
Inspect the voters' roll!

The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...

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