28 Mar 2017

 Commander of Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Lt Gen. Placid Segokgo yesterday (March 28)  handed President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama two flags being the national flag and  the BDF  flag- a military gesture meant to honour President Khama  following his exploits in the army before he became President of the country.
 The flags, referred to as servicemen in millitary language
have been code named Sechaba and Thebe from the BDF slogan of Thebe ya Sechaba. The army culture treats the two flags as part of the army and as being enlisted in military activities.
Speaking at the symbolic ceremony  at state house in Gaborone on March 28, Lt Gen. Segokgo said having been the commander and deputy commander of the BDF, President Khama had ‘enlisted’ the two servicemen.
“As these two servicemen are now bonafide soldiers they have numbers. Thus keeping with military traditions Serviceman Sechaba,the senior of the two is allocated Force number 400,while the Serviceman Thebe is allocated F/N 401.This is because whilst a serving member of the BDF Your Excellency’s aircraft call sign was Foxtrot 401,”he said.
Furthermore, Lt Gen. Segokgo said the Servicemen had been given mission orders to provide force, protection, enforce discipline, ensure the maintenance of BDF values and uplift the morale of officers and members of other ranks of the BDF.
He said the Servicemen would do that “by standing watch atop of flag poles at BDF garrisons, base camps as well as embassies and High Commissions of Botswana abroad.
“They will move-out on anti-poaching patrols, conduct listening posts and observation post,” he said.
Further, he said the Servicemen were to conduct road picketing duties to VVIP and provide Presidential protection and uplift morale on-board Presidential air movements, adding that they were also to provide force protection and boost morale during BDF troop rotations and deployment throughout Botswana and on mission outside the country.
Lt Gen Segokgo said they were also to move out with BDF troops for the conduct of aid to civil authorities during disaster operations and on competition of their mission they were to report mission accomplishment to him, whereupon it shall be presented to the President with new orders.
Meanwhile BDF director of protocol and public affairs, Colonel Tebo Dikole said the President being founder member and former commander of the BDF, the commander, Lt Gen. Segokgo found it fit to present the flags to him before they were given their numerous tasks.
“What is pertinent is that at the end, these flags would have traversed the length and breadth of this country and they would have passed through numerous hands of BDF members,” he said.
Colonel Dikole further said they also found it prudent to hand the servicemen to the President because he was one of their members adding that they prided themselves in that one of them was able to ascend to the highest office in the country. ENDS