Retired soldiers reject Masisi’s apology

Retired members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) have not come to a settlement with the Government of Botswana over the retirement monies they are supposed to receive.

The courts had given the two parties time to discuss a settlement after the government had indicated that they had made a mistake and showed that they can settle out of court. However, the two parties did not agree on a settlement and the issue is back at court.

According to spokesperson of the ‘A re Itshekeng’, Brigadier Mabe Gaborone, the Government negotiated in bad faith and did not follow the set procedures of dealing with issues of retirement. He said the demand they have put to government is the denominator government used on the distribution of the P1.5 billion that was promised by President Masisi.

Moreover, Gaborone said that the transition of BDF soldiers’ funds to the BPOPF pension fund was illegal. He said they are demanding that the government use the internationally set standard that is humane when dealing with people’s pensions.

Gaborone said that although the government had promised to start distributing their P1.5 billion apology to retired soldiers by the 15th of July, they had not heard of any developments or heard someone indicating that they have received monies promised to them by the government.

President Masisi announced earlier this year at a Botswana Democratic Party rally that the government has taken a political decision to apologise to the retired members of the BDF whose pension monies were unfairly taken from them. He explained that P1.5 billion had been set aside from government coffers so that the retired soldiers who are mostly suffering in life would be given money to partake in the nation they worked so hard for.

The promised millions were to be distributed among almost 10 000 retired and active soldiers a few months ago and yet until now the soldiers indicate that they have not yet started receiving the money.