• Ruth Khama wanted BDF founded for Ian – Archival records
• Masire, Mogae, Gaolathe opposed to excessive BDF
• Defence spending spiralled out of control under Merafhe-Khama…Pgs 11-14
According to archival reports from British records, the late founding President Seretse Khama’s decision to form the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), taken in 1976 and implemented a year later, was a result of pressure from his family, particularly his wife, the late Ruth Khama. It is said the First Lady wanted President Seretse Khama to start the BDF to give then recent Sandhurst Military Academy graduate, Ian Khama something worthwhile to do. A brief from British Commission to the British Government, written by a certain W. Turner dated 16th January 1981 and bearing the official stamps and letterhead of the British Government, reveals that the BDF was formed under such questionable circumstances.
It would later cause a lot of concern when it dominated government spending. Turner reveals that both then Vice President, Quett Masire and other senior government officials, among them Festus Mogae who was Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Finance and Development Planning Ministry and PS in the Office of the President Permanent Secretary, Philip Steenkamp were opposed to the project to start the BDF. However Turner, quoting his encounters with Mogae and other civil servants, says that the late President was under tremendous pressure from his wife to give his first born son who had recently completed military training at the British military college, something to do with his acquired knowledge. This version has been corroborated by a number of former senior cabinet ministers.
“He (Mogae) confirmed what we always believed, which was that the BDF was set up solely because of Ian Khama’s pressure, through his mother on the late President Khama,” states the official. The BDF Bill was put to Parliament and passed in 1977, 3 years earlier than the letter. However the writer, and indeed other former senior members of government agree that, cabinet members both during and after Seretse Khama’s presidency became concerned at the excessive spending by the BDF. “Mogae commented that the BDF is now a monster, absorbing more of the national wealth than could be afforded and diverting funds from worthwhile projects” states the brief.
However after the passing away of Seretse, the pressure to spend on the BDF, where Merafhe was commander and Ian Khama deputy, continued on the Masire government, to the consternation of the civil servants at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP). “In the final years before President Khama’s death, Ian had been able to get anything he wanted from his father, who was then ailing and although Masire had always opposed the heavy expenditure he had been overruled by the President, who had imposed his will on the cabinet. The situation now was that Ian Khama and Merafhe had become extremely arrogant with Ministers and officials,” states the letter.
In the years between 1989 and 1998 when Khama was Commander of the BDF, he averaged four per cent of GDP in defence spending, one of the highest levels in the world.
On Mogae’s return from the United States (US) in 1981, Ian Khama is said to have noted to Mogae that he was pleased that the latter, an opponent of excessive defence spending, had to leave in 1976, adding that the pro-BDF lobby had won a victory in his absence. However, this week Khama, through his office, rejected the account. “No, the President does not recall interacting with this individual. The President does not have a recollection of such a discussion with former President Mogae,” replied G.Pitso, Senior Private Secretary to the President.
President Ian Khama’s office has dismissed the report in its entirety, arguing that Lady Khama, who was not part of Cabinet had no influence in the latter’s decision making process. “The letter you have under discussion seems to be focused on the Cabinet at the time and its outlook, thus it should be noted that Lady Khama was not a part of the Cabinet and therefore the question might be misplaced in this regard,” said Pitso.
Furthermore, argues the office, the country was faced with “incursions into the country from the neighbouring colonial minority regimes (particularly Southern Rhodesia)” which necessitated a defence force.
“If the argument raised in the letter is to hold water, defence spending would have decreased upon the ascendance of Masire to the Presidency, or even upon the rise of Gaolathe to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning,” argued the Office of the President. Meanwhile both Masire and Mogae refused to comment on the letter and its contents.
In the years between 1989 and 1998 when Khama was Commander of the BDF, he averaged four per cent of GDP in defence spending, one of the highest levels in the world. It has since emerged that the bulk procurement budget went to financing military equipment bought from companies for which Khama’s younger brothers Tshekedi and Anthony were middle-men, earning for the Khama brothers, substantial payments in commissions.