23 Mar 2022

The Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security will use over P10 billion with the largest share of about P4 billion allocated to Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in the 2022/2023 financial year.

Presenting the ministry’s budget proposals for the financial year on Tuesday, defence, justice and security minister, Mr Kagiso Mmusi said funds allocated to the BDF would cover personnel emoluments and other operational expenses.

He said the BDF would also be allocated P1 billion under the development budget to be used to strengthen its capabilities, which covered, among others, infrastructure development and maintenance, procurement and refurbishment of air assets, maintenance of military vehicles, communication equipment and defence equipment.

Further, he said BDF conducted a broad range of domestic and regional operations in order to protect and promote peace and security, including domestic functions of providing aid to civil authorities as well as the Botswana Police Service (BPS) in fighting crime as well as border and anti-poaching operations.

He said in the recent past, the BDF had faced difficulties in acquiring military capabilities that were commensurate with the level of national assignments, owing to a combination of internal and external factors.

He said the BDF hardware had been found to be relatively expensive given that most had to be imported.

Modern warfare technology, he said, was ever changing, hence the need for frequent updating and replacement of equipment, a process that came at high costs.

He said BDF required significant military capabilities, which could not be acquired and maintained cheaply, adding that the ever presence of evolving and diverse security challenges such as intra-wars, terrorism, cyber warfare and the rapid spread of military technologies across the globe would always raise some element of uncertainties and expose vulnerabilities.

“The annual funding of defence should aim to ensure that we do not lose our readiness to respond to our nation’s contingencies,” he said.

Botswana Police Service on the other hand will be allocated the second largest share of over P2 billion and over P309 million for its recurrent and development expenditure respectively.
Under recurrent expenditure, he said funds would also cater for the personnel emoluments and other operational expenses while  the development budget would cover facilities, fleet expansion and telecommunication.

Under development expenditure, he said over P145 million would be used to finance, among others, the ongoing construction of 28 housing units in Block 10,  and Forensic Laboratory, both in Gaborone, police posts and base camps at various locations, four police stations and housing units in Mathubudukwane, Maitengwe, Letlhakane and Semolale including access roads, police headquarters expansion, SSG Francistown workshop and 150 housing units.

Regarding the police fleet expansion, he said over P60 million would be used for the procurement of aircraft and specialised vehicles.

He said the police would also use over P104 million of the development budget to continue financing the upgrading and expansion of Radio Communication Network System, introduction of Incident Management System for the Safer City programme, development of Crime Analysis Systems and roll out of computerised Human Resource Management System to all police districts and stations.

Mr Mmusi explained that BPS was responsive to any emerging security requirement, citing robberies targeting cash-in- transit vehicles and some large businesses in Gaborone and other areas.

He said criminals comprised both local and foreign nationals who appeared to be jointly perpetrating criminal acts.

“My ministry continues to consult locally and externally on what measures should be put to guarantee the safety of cash and assets in transit,” he said.
In an efforts to enhance and improve the status quo prevailing in the prisons service, Mr Mmusi requested for over P114 million for the organisation to cater for ongoing and new projects.

He said over P19 million would be spent on the computerisation of prisons system, over P18 million on staff housing, while the remaining amount would be used on refurbishment of prisons facilities, fencing of facilities, farming infrastructure and prisons security equipment, among others.

He said a comprehensive Prison Security Audit was undertaken with a view to identify security and operational gaps, risks and threats and that the implementation of the audit recommendations was ongoing.

Among the recommendations being implemented, he said, was the establishment of the Rapid Response Teams and the Prison Intelligence Division, adding that milestones achieved included training of officers in basis intelligence and field craft tactics and weaponry.

On other issues, Mr Mmusi said the ministry continued to pursue a strategic programme to ensure that the necessary supporting legal framework was in place to enhance access to justice to achieve the effectiveness of the justice delivery system in the country.

In that regard, he said the ministry would amend the Magistrates Courts Act CAP 04:04 to improve access to justice by enhancing the powers of magistrates’ civil jurisdiction to impose higher penalties.

In addition, he said legislation on bail was being developed to address the general concerns of the public on issues surrounding granting of bail to accused persons, adding that the Bill sought to articulate the law on bail and contribute to more effective justice delivery. ENDS