08 Dec 2025

Government’s commitment to maintaining a robust, modern and professional Botswana Defence Force (BDF) while simultaneously prioritising national development goals was the central theme at the recent BDF Senior Commander and Staff Programme, Class 17 of 2025, graduation ceremony in Gaborone.

Minister for State President, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, said the BDF must evolve its defence capabilities in line with emerging threats, critically maintaining a balance with other vital national priorities, including health, education, infrastructure and social welfare.

Minister Mohwasa emphasised the need for foundational role of a strong security apparatus in achieving national aspirations.

He added that the strength of security institutions was fundamental to the success of the national Vision 2036, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BTEP.

He commended the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for his unwavering support of professional military education, owing to the exceptional quality of officers being produced.

He also highlighted that a modern and responsible defence force necessitated a significant investment in human capital to position it as a cornerstone of military leadership.

Thus, he urged the graduating officers to embody the qualities demanded by their profession, including integrity, accountability, courage, humility, empathy and resilience.

He further stated that their strategic thinking, innovation and problem-solving skills would be essential in environments where prudence and efficiency were not optional, but imperative.

On the graduation, he said the ceremony was a testament to the continent’s shared commitment to collective security, with participants from across the region.

Minister Mohwasa highlighted the importance of the continental participation, stating that it demonstrated the strength of continental bonds and played a crucial role of military diplomacy.

For his part, Commandant of the BDF Defence Command and Staff College, Colonel Dumisani Ndzinge, expressed gratitude to the staff for their commitment to excellence and for creating a conducive learning environment.

Col. Ndzinge said the curriculum ensured that graduates were prepared for the complex modern threat landscape.

He said the Strategic Studies curriculum, delivered by the University of Botswana’s Department of Political and Administrative Studies, alongside the core Military Curriculum, was key to such effort.

He explained that such collaboration ensured that they produced robust war fighters who were also academically skilled with deep understanding of the geopolitical and strategic environment within which the military operated.

A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the best research paper award to Major Kehumile Modimoosi, whose work focused on the assessment of psychological stress on officers returning from war zones.

Inspired by her role as a mother, Major Modimoosi’s research shed light on how post-deployment challenges can significantly affect an officer’s cognitive mentality and prevent them from executing their duties effectively.

She emphasised that there was critical need  for the organisation to formally address traumas, noting her focus on the issue of extended separation from families and the subsequent difficulty of reintegration due to changed family dynamics.

Major Modimoosi acknowledged the BDF’s proactive measures, including established programmes to assist remaining families and conducting orientations prior to deployment.

Meanwhile, the graduating cohort comprised 60 officers, a group that included civil servants from local institutions like the Ministry of International Relations, Botswana Police Service and the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime.

The cohort included military officers from Lesotho, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ENDS