The print media in September 2015 was awash with an ad hominem response, by someone using the pseudonym Lieutenant Godfrey Letsholo against the Mmegi columnist Moleofe titled “Retired Chaplain Moleofe ÔÇô You Know Nothing About BDF” (http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=54261).
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an ad hominem argument as one that is used to counter another argument; but, it is based on feelings or prejudice, rather than facts, reason or logic. It is often a personal attack on one’s character rather than an attempt to address the issue at hand.
I do not wish to engage in the issue of National Security Strategy but just confine the discussion to Letsholo’s belittling remarks to not only Moleofe but others in the army who do similar functions. Letsholo does not inspire confidence in us civilians and gives the impression of an army divided not only along rank but also according to the unit one belongs to. Letsholo reminds Moleofe that ‘you were just a low ranking officer’, whose ‘role at the BDF, what you were paid for, was to simply read the Bible to those who wished to listen to verses. There is no way a social welfare officer could be involved in National Security Strategies.’
Furthermore, he states “It is okay, you don’t have to lie pretending that you have been a real soldier. Many have served the BDF under not necessarily military roles such as; cooks, gardeners, veterinarians, chaplains such as yourself. Those people have since left the BDF but do not need to falsely glorify themselves and pretend that they were real soldiers.”
Be that as it may, the little I know about those joining the military (other than those employed as civilians) whether footballers, chaplains, veterinarians, ‘real soldiers’ etc, is that they all undergo similar basic military training.
Letsholo seems to give a lower profile to the important role played by the Chaplains which ‘has always been to take care of the emotional needs of families of soldiers, their wives, children and nannies….” He also denigrates the Social Welfare Unit, by stating that ‘even if they are sent for international exercises, they are trained mainly at that; counselling soldiers and their families, praying and carrying out humanitarian duties such as providing water and food to soldiers on duty. Such BDF personnel will mostly work with institutions such as Red Cross and departments responsible for national disasters during incidents of natural disasters such as floods and wild fires.”
What worries me is the deafening silence by the BDF when Letsholo who portrays himself as a high ranking military officer talks down on an internationally recognized office of the Chaplain and one wonders if indeed this is not the position of our army.
Letsholo also seems not aligned to the often stated BDF value of esprit de corps, which implies a sense of unity and of commoninterests and responsibilities, as developed among a group of persons closely associated in a task, cause, enterprise, etc. As President Lt. Gen. Khama always explains esprit de corps it is all for one and one for all.
Those familiar with the Bible may recall that the world renowned military strategist King David was confronted with such a situation of a dichotomy between ‘real soldiers’ and those ‘providing water and food to soldiers on duty’ and settled the issue once and for all.
In 1 Samuel 30 we are told of a story about David and his army of six hundred men of which two hundred became too exhausted and were told to remain behind as others went in pursuit of the Amalekites who had raided Ziklag and captured their women and children. When they returned from defeating the Amalekites and it was time to share the spoils of war, some among the four hundred who had the attitude similar to that of Letsholo wanted to deny the two hundred who were exhausted their share of the loot.
In 1 Samuel 30:22-25 the Bible says
“But all evil men and troublemakers among David’s followers said, ‘Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go’. David replied ‘No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and handed over to us the forces that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike. David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this.”
If Letsholo did not dismiss the role of ‘Retired Chaplain Moleofe’ as ‘ to simply read the Bible to those who wished to listen to verses’ he would have heard Moleofe read this portion of scripture which established a very important concept for a military to work as a unit. It might probably because of this ordinance and statute among others that are found in the Bible that the Israeli Defense Force is one of the most successful in the world.
I wish to conclude by saying, I enjoy reading Moleofe’s column as it gives one a break from the fatigue of reading too much politics which at times becomes boring. Lately Moleofe has been writing about military doctrine which he defines as ‘the basic expression of how a military organization intends to conduct its campaigns and major operations at peacetime and during hostilities of war. These are written in manuals and they clearly stipulate all courses of action for military commanders.” See more at:http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?aid=54540&dir=2015/october/02#sthash.C30jBQQd.dpuf
If I understood his writing about doctrine well, I think the BDF military doctrine manual should clearly define the relationship between what Letsholo calls ‘real soldiers’ and those ‘providing water and food to soldiers on duty’.
It should also state the importance of taking ‘care of the emotional needs of families of soldiers, their wives, children and nannies…’. Furthermore, it might probably assist Letsholo to know that during Shaka Zulu’s military exploits he employed the ‘scorched earth policy’ wherein he poisoned all the water bodies and burnt all the food supplies to ensure that the armies of their enemies starved and thirsted to death. This goes to show that in a battle those securing and ‘providing water and food to soldiers on duty’ and ‘real soldiers’ are equally important for the success of their campaigns. I also encourage Moleofe to keep writing and he should not lose focus as he almost did in the run-up to 2014 elections when he wrote more about politics than military issues.
*NB: The views and opinions expressed are of the writer and not those of the Government of Botswana where he is employed
