03 Apr 2024

The world has become so unpredictable that government cannot ignore the necessity of defence modernisation through technology.

Officially opening the 19^th Strategic Conference of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in Gaborone yesterday, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi as such stressed the need to continue prioritising investment in areas critical to national defence. 

“Spending should be evidence-based and be informed by a thorough risk mitigation plan to avoid value leakage,” he said. President Masisi said the gathering was to make decisions that had the power to shape not just 'our present reality, but the course of events for generations to come'.

He said the strength of the military was on the readiness of its force, not the price tag of the armaments at its disposal, adding that it was important to continue to uphold and demonstrate commitment to good governance, accountability and transparency by making informed decisions on resource allocation and prioritisation. Going forward, President Masisi said all projects must have a memoranda attached to justify their necessity and must be processed through appropriate approval channels, as it was the case with the rest of the non-military sphere of the public service.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, my aim is to have the best equipped defence force capable of effectively and efficiently conducting military operations across the wide spectrum of conflict situations, while implementing carefully designed expenditure models,” he said.

Provided that there was embedded prudent and efficient military spending to safeguard national security, Dr Masisi said the BDF was bound to achieve its vision. “It is on this basis that we need to put in place quality assurance frameworks and protocols such as Defence Reviews, that will objectively define our transformation, policy direction, and provide resourcing guidance,” he said. 

President Masisi noted with appreciation the role that the country's strategic partners were playing to help build credible defence capability. Recently, he said, the US government offered excess defence articles in the form of a C130H aircraft at no cost to Botswana.

He said the gesture was highly appreciated given the limited resources.

Dr Masisi said government would continue to prioritise the use of soft power as opposed to hard power. “The government will further continue to provide the necessary resources to support strategic military engagements in the region,” he said. Therefore, he said the conference should produce a framework for future military engagements. 

“It should render advice on the mechanisms and models applicable for Botswana's future engagements both at regional and international level. As we re-define the future roadmap of the Botswana Defence Force, guided by the lessons from our past, let us remain committed to excellence, guided by our dedication to service that defines us as warriors and guardians of peace,” he said.

He said it was essential to reflect on the sacrifices made by fallen heroes and draw inspiration from their dedication to safeguarding the country's security and sovereignty. 

President Masisi said the current BDF cadre must continue to uphold that legacy through their actions and decisions in serving the country. He also commended the Commander Lt Gen. Placid Segokgo for bringing together the BDF senior leadership to introspect and reflect on issues of strategic importance.

He said the conference theme; Reshaping the Organisation for High Performance Through Mindset Change, With Specific Reference to Enhancing Service Delivery, resonated well with Botswana's Vision 2036, the government's Transformation Agenda, the Reset and Reclaim Agenda, policy direction on Mindset Change, and the recently approved National Transformation Strategy. President Masisi said the theme was also in line with the Ministry of Defence and Security's mindset change roadmap that was rolled out on November 10, 2023.

“Moreover, your theme underscores the importance of enhanced service delivery; it speaks to the Performance Agreements that are signed between myself and the ministers, and cascaded to the accounting officers, including the Commander of the BDF,” he said. 

He said it was imperative for the BDF to constantly monitor, assess and evaluate its policies, strategies, plans and programmes to determine their relevance to the current and future security threats.

“Your plans and strategies should also factor in the interests of the public, as your number one customer,” he said. ends