10 Dec 2017

President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama says increasingly complex and uncertain security situations across the world requires the military to be vigilant and to broaden its knowledge in order to deal with threats decisively.

He said this during a graduation ceremony of the senior command and staff programme [SCSP] at Glen Valley barracks on December 8.

Addressing 36 graduates who came from various countries in the Southern African Development Community region, President Khama said the military should always strive to defend the ideals and principles of democracy.

He noted that the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) had grown over the years and had contributed to the peace and stability that the country continued to enjoy.

He said the quality of the curriculum offered conformed to best international practices and produced vigilant officers who were ready to operate in complex security environments.

On other issues, President Khama said 2017 had shown that there were emerging security challenges in the region and beyond.

He noted that incidents of terrorism were increasing and had affected countries in Africa and Europe.

He also said there were conflicts in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, and security threats in the Korean Peninsula.

He said the uncertain security environments would be the ones that the graduates might find themselves thrown into.

He added that receiving training under SCSP equiped them with military planning and execution and other forms of asymmetric warfare.

President Khama said the skills acquired, which were taken in collaboration with the University of Botswana, placed graduates in a position to operate across a wide spectrum of military operations.

President Khama told graduates from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho and Zambia that there was need for them to use the networks that they built to strengthen cooperation between defence forces in the region and the people.

He highlighted that there was need for graduates to deal with poaching, smuggling of contraband, cybercrime and human trafficking, adding that they were on top of the agenda of law enforcement agencies in the region.

He emphasised the need for military officers to be equipped with skills and expertise necessary to tackle situations effectively.

For his part, the Defence Command and Staff Commandant, Brigadier Papadi Monnatlhare encouraged graduates to make use of the knowledge acquired at the school as well as to strive to uphold professionalism and integrity.

“Professionalism and integrity are cardinal, both in your relationships with one another, and your interactions with both your subordinates and superiors,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Ethel Kunda of Zambia was recognised as the best commandant in a research paper. She also scooped the African Conference of Commanders Meritorious Award for Excellence. ENDS