27 Apr 2022

 Hundreds of Botswana Defence Force (BDF) members are set to be honoured in a medals parade which is part of the army’s 45th anniversary.
  The parade, which is in recognition of officers’ devotion to duty, started at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks yesterday and extends to Glen Valley and Francistown today.
  At Sir Seretse Khama Barracks, Vice President Slumber Tsogwane, accompanied by BDF commander Lt. Gen Placid Segokgo, conferred Duty Code Order medals on a total of 160 officers.Minister of Defence and Security, Mr Kagiso Mmusi with air arm commander Maj Gen Hendrick Rakgantshwana as escort, awarded the Pearl Jubilee Medal and Distinguished Service Medal to nine and 54 officers respectively.
The Pearl Jubilee Medal is awarded to any BDF member who has completed 30 years of honourable continuous service while the Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to commissioned officers who have completed not less than 20 years of continuous service with good conduct.Duty Code Order medal recipient Colonel Rudy Esterhuizen, who indicated he had been in the army for 31 years,  said he had always shown nothing but commitment to duty.
He said recognition from the employer was a special moment for him and his family.
Having joined the BDF in 1986 and progressed through various ranks as well as being given an opportunity to hone his skills abroad, Colonel Dikago Kopi said the two medals he received were in recognition of his  commitment and hard work.  
Colonel Kopi received the Duty Code Order and Pearl Jubilee awards. Today at Glen Valley, 300 officers will receive Pearl Jubilee medals and 165, the Long Service Order.
On the same day, 200 officers in Francistown will be decorated with the Pearl Jubilee and Long Service Order medals.ENDS