29 Apr 2014

Member of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, Kgosi Phokontsi Seeletso of Mmadinare says April 26 is not only time to celebrate the establishment of Botswana Defence Force (BDF), but also a day to celebrate the peace and tranquility enjoyed by Botswana.

He said this whilst addressing soldiers, civil servants, members of the village development committees, dikgosi and the public that attended the BDF Day Celebration Mess Night at the Eastern Military Garrison camp on April 26.

He said the BDF Day was not only important to soldiers, but also to Batswana as a whole. He said the BDF Day was also meant to recognise, pay respect and appreciate all the efforts that the force had put in to keep Botswana as a sovereign state.

He went on to explain that initially, Botswana did not have a defence force, but only a police mobile unit.

He said it was only after experiencing military threats from the then Ian Smith regime in the then Rhodesia and from the apartheid regime in South Africa that Botswana decided to set up a Defence Force on April 26, 1977 to protect her people and their possessions.

“The BDF started off as a very small unit derived from the then Police Mobile unit. Former Vice President, Lt Gen. Mompati Merafhe was among those who initiated the BDF,” he said.

He said the Botswana Defence Force has been growing over the years and have taken part in United Nations international missions.

For his part, the Acting Commander of Eastern Military Garrison, Lt  Col Mokgweetsi Gaolatlhe noted that as a norm, the army hosts the BDF Day annually in order to showcase their combat readiness and promptness.  

He went on to inform the public that the BDF high command had decided that this year, the day celebrations would be conducted at Gaborone National Stadium after five years of absence meaning that Selebi Phikwe and Francistown will only celebrate the evening sessions and that is why the people were invited to BDF evening session. Ends