05 Feb 2015

The Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi, says members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) have been agitated by remarks that they support the opposition party. 

Speaking in Parliament on February 4, Minister Kgathi said according to the Telegraph and Echo newspapers, leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) who is also MP for Gaborone Bonnington North, Mr Duma Boko, made statements that his party had attracted a considerable number of high ranking officials from the army. 

He said Mr Boko was quoted claiming that a group of some high ranking BDF fighter pilots had approached him and assured him of their support for his party. 

“The truth of the matter is that soldiers who are alleged to be pledging their support to the UDC are very agitated by these incitement and have asked me to publicly refute these allegations,” Mr Kgathi said. 

The minister said he had not seen or heard of any rebuttal of these allegations from Mr Boko thereby implying that the interview with the newspapers had taken place. 

He said these statements had the potential to permanently damage the reputation and professionalism of the BDF and erode the code of discipline and allegiance to the Constitution among the ranks. 

“Furthermore, comments of this nature when uttered by public figures such as legislators, particularly implicating service members on infringement of laws and regulations governing their employment and conduct, have the potential to cause anxiety among the BDF members and mislead the public,” he said. 

Minister Kgathi said as leaders, they were charged with the responsibility of ensuring peace, law and order in the country and are custodians of the laws and regulations passed in Parliament including those regarding the establishment and operations of the BDF. 

“I am therefore, surprised by the Honourable Member to be quoted to have been openly encouraging members of the BDF to be active in politics and thus violate the law,” he said.  He said these might be interpreted to be intended to deliberately undermine discipline and command of the BDF. 

The minister said the BDF was an apolitical organisation as guided by the BDF (Regular Force – Other Ranks) Regulations and BDF (Regular Force – Officers) Regulations which prohibited active participation in politics. 

“The regulations define active participation in politics as any actual or passive association with political parties in the country,” he said. 

He said any conduct that might be construed by the public as amounting to such actual or passive association was prohibited and punishable under the BDF Act. Minister Kgathi assured Batswana that the BDF remains apolitical and has high regard for the Constitution and laws. 

It will thus, at all times, ensure that their actions support and respect the Constitution of Botswana and all institutions legally established such as the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary, he said. 

In their response, opposition MPs implored the minister to bring proof that indeed a section of the BDF had asked for his assistance. ENDS