Is the Botswana Defence Force Poised to Attain the Level of Military Effectiveness Espoused by Its Vision

In order to stay relevant the Botswana Defence Force BDF set itself a vision of a professional prompt and decisive force. However, this vision is blurred by a mismatch between its missions and capabilities, deficient defense policies and strategic management framework, and a procurement system too duplicitous to attend the real needs and peculiarities of its military. The BDFs effectiveness has not been appraised however, its origins in 1977 portray a military formed more as a beacon to sovereignty than a potent force to counter its more powerful adversaries in South Africa and Rhodesia. As southern Africa attained stability and endured the Cold War, there was rise in non-state actor threats, as well as a consequent increase in peace and stability operations in Africa. Conversely, acquisition of defense capabilities in Botswana was not informed by these changes as such, acquired systems did not match the missions BDF was engaged in. The evolution of the BDF from the original rifle company seems to have been guided more by theory and desires of the military to mirror our neighbors than realistic strategic assessment and policy adaptation to the evolving internal, regional, and international security environment. Even the creation of the Ministry of Defence Justice and Security MDJS did not provide the expected guidance for military planning and acquisition to security and economic imperatives of the country. The BDF Act has been the solitary military specific document the country has produced in the last 36 years. The drought of policies and strategic guidance perpetuated a bottom up approach to the development of the BDF, with the MDJS providing little more than a conduit not playing management role expected of a defense ministry in a parliamentary democracy.