12 Mar 2018

The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) has been described as noble in terms of discharging army locally and internationally.

This was said by President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama at a farewell dinner hosted for him by the BDF at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks (SSKB) in Mogoditshane on Friday.

President Khama said the BDF was a professional organisation which had over the years gained public confidence which extended to the international shores.

President Khama, whose dinner was also attended by among others the Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi and wife Neo, Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo, Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi and senior government officials, noted that BDF had grown from humble beginnings to become a force to reckon with in terms of capabilities and the way it discharged its duties.

He said the formation of the national army came at a critical point when the region was engulfed in liberation struggles and the country had to protect it borders and its citizens from outside insurgencies and encroachment of militias which posed national threat.

However he said BDF passed the acid test when it participated in peace missions in Africa which included their deployment at some ragged and notorious region in Mozambique, where other armies could not cope.

He said their professional conduct to quell feuding militias was a great achievement which had made a lasting impression on United Nations (UN) records, particularly that they had been inviting BDF to participate in other peace keeping missions. As a former army commander, Lt Gen. Dr Khama thanked his successors for having maintained a good record noting that he was equally impressed with the current BDF commander Lt Gen. Placid Segokgo whom he described as a man  with a vision.    For his part, Lt Gen. Segokgo said President Khama as one of the founding fathers of the army, had a great career, an embodiment of a success story particularly that it was flavored with the concept of Botho, which he said should be emulated especially by the youth.

He recalled that when President Khama took over the reins of BDF he intensified and employed the concept of professionalism, a tool which has since become their legacy.
President Khama was showered with gifts which include a trailer, truck rail, short gun and a P100 000 cheque which he was to donate to any charitable organisation of his choice. Ends