At least more than 500 soldiers are expected to resign from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) at the end of this year after their efforts to have their conditions improved failed, The Gazette has learnt

The Gazette has it on good authority that the exodus of soldiers is a result of a combination of factors, among them poor working conditions, low salaries and poor relations with some sections of management.

A source within the BDF described the impending resignations as alarming, adding that “the welfare of soldiers is of paramount importance and no one understood this better than the former commander of Ground Forces, Major General Pius Mokgware, and we are quitting because we have realized that no good will come out of our request.”

It is understood that some officers had long applied to leave the army but management had stalled because government has suspended the recruitment of new personnel.

The resignations have not gone unnoticed by members of Parliament as the Member of Parliament for Chobe, Gibson Nshimwe, asked the acting Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Lesego Motsumi, during the ongoing parliamentary sitting if an increasing number of soldiers were resigning from the army. Replying Motsumi confirmed a sharp increase in resignations between 2007/08 and 2008/09, of 63 percent, which dropped the following year, 2009/10, by 0.96 per cent.

Motsumi who doubles as Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration revealed that in the past five years soldiers have resigned from the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) as follows: 2006/07 – 54, 2007/08 – 64, 2008/09 – 104, 2009/10 – 105, 2010/11 – 126.

However she was quick to dismiss the perception that the resignations amounted to an exodus, looking at the trend over the period of five years. She attributed the resignations to various reasons, among them the soldiers’ need to pursue interests outside the military; the majority had resigned to further their education in other disciplines that are not related to military training, she said.

“The general conditions of service in the military has also contributed to the high turnover of personnel, who resign because they cannot cope with the hardships of military life such as stringent disciplinary requirements, being required to be on duty for 24 hours for prolonged periods of time, unusual strain on relationship/families due to frequent operational assignments where partners/families cannot join them,” said Minister Motsumi.

Soldiers also leave to take advantage of better opportunities where they can work for either the same or higher pay under relaxed working conditions, the Minister revealed.

Written by KHONANI ONTEBETSE Wednesday, 15 December