The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) has apparently embarked on an exercise to retire soldiers who are five years away from retirement due to lack of funds – a move that is said to be resisted from the trenches.
This publication has learnt that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation.
Sources allege the BDF has served those without skills with letters ordering them to tender their retirement as the army has no funds.
However, this publication is reliably informed that this has been met with resentment as some within the army are questioning why they should retire when they are still left with four years of active service.
“We have loans that we took from commercial banks and who will pay for those loans? It is unfair and BDF want to see us poor,” said one soldier on condition of anonymity, adding that soldiers are being driven into poverty which can be a security threat.
Responding to The Telegraoh queries BDF spokesperson Colonel Tebo Dikole justified the lack of funds at the barracks saying the commander on the 20th of May 2020 issued a circular, informing members of such.
He stated that in view of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the financial markets worldwide have been under heightened pressure, volatility and uncertainty and were experiencing a downward performance for the first quarter of the year 2020.
He said consequently negative returns were anticipated with reasonable certainty in both the short and medium term globally.
“The Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) of which BDF is a member has a protection policy for its members who are left with three years or less of service before their compulsory retirement,” he said.
He indicated that the policy is meant safeguard the members’ accumulated pension against adverse investment performance.
He stated that it provides the option to opt for pre-retirement switching which is made available once a year between 01 October and 31 January therefore the actual pre-retirement switch takes effect on the 1st of April being the commencement of the fund financial year.
He further stated that it is against the above background that an exemption was accorded to all those members who opt to submit a request for an early retirement to do so in line with the section 13 {2},of the BDF Act.
Hepoured scorn over allegations that the army has no funds.
