10 Aug 2026

The Commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), General Mpho Mophuting, has challenged newly promoted senior officers to uphold the apolitical character of the military and remain committed to serving Batswana. 

General Mophuting was speaking at a pinning-on ceremony for the 79 recently promoted senior BDF officers at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks, where he officially conferred the new ranks. Of the 79 officers promoted, 19 attained the rank of Colonel, while 60 were promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. 

Addressing the officers, General Mophuting reminded them that their new positions came with greater responsibilities and expectations, stressing that their primary responsibility was the nation. 

“We are here not to serve ourselves but to serve the nation. This is what we should always remember and always ask ourselves: who do we serve? Our primary customers are Batswana,” he said. 

He said promotion to senior officer level marked the beginning of a new journey that would require the officers to think critically and navigate increasingly complex responsibilities.

“You are becoming senior officers. It is a completely different environment, an environment that demands you to think critically and challenges you through different fields, emotional intelligence and issues of civil-military relations,” he said. 

General Mophuting also cautioned the officers against political involvement, reminding them that the BDF was an apolitical institution. 

He said senior officers would increasingly interact with different sectors of society and government and should therefore understand the importance of maintaining a clear separation between military service and partisan politics.

“You need to be able to draw a thick line when it comes to issues of politics and understand that the military is an apolitical organisation,” he said. General Mophuting said maintaining the apolitical nature of the BDF was important in preserving Botswana’s democratic order and urged the officers to respect the Constitution as a reflection of the will of Batswana.

“As long as I am around as the Commander, I intend to maintain that, and to respect that democratic dispensation that was put forward by Batswana when they created their Constitution,” he said. He added that respecting the Constitution was ultimately an expression of respect for the people of Botswana.

The Commander further announced plans to expose senior officers to the workings of different institutions through a senior leadership capstone programme. The programme, he said, would broaden the officers’ understanding of governance, legislation and the economy beyond their military responsibilities. He said the officers would visit Parliament to understand how laws were made and the Ministry of Finance to gain an understanding of macroeconomics, budgeting and government revenue.

They would also visit Debswana, which he described as a significant contributor to government revenue, as well as factories and other government ministries. General Mophuting encouraged the newly promoted officers to continue with their education, saying the rapidly changing environment required continuous learning and professional development.

“Continue furthering your studies because things change,” he said. Meanwhile, General Mophuting described the promotion of four women to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a significant development for the BDF.

“Four women have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, which I think is a significant step. This means we are going somewhere,” he said. The ceremony, which brought together senior military officers, families, spouses, friends and other invited guests, was described as an important milestone in the careers of the promotees.

In his welcome remarks, Brigadier Jenamiso Mountain said the pinning-on ceremony remained one of the proud traditions of the BDF, providing an opportunity to formally witness officers assuming higher ranks after earning the confidence of the organisation. He said the presence of spouses, family members and friends made the occasion more meaningful as it allowed them to celebrate the achievement alongside those who had supported the officers throughout their careers.

“Today’s ceremony is one of the proud traditions of the Botswana Defence Force. It provides an opportunity for us to formally witness the assumption of higher ranks by officers who have earned the confidence of the organisation,” Brigadier Mountain said.

Giving the vote of thanks, Major General Molefi Seikano described the occasion as historic and expressed gratitude to the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks garrison for hosting the event.

He also thanked the distinguished guests, families, well-wishers and other attendees for making time to witness the milestone in the officers’ careers. ENDS