Stefaans Brummer
BOTSWANA is rapidly expanding its defence force, bucking a trend of demilitarisation in Southern Africa and sparking fears that the region’s most peaceful country may be heading for instability.
A controversial order of an estimated 50 tanks from the Netherlands this year follows closely on that of another 36 British tanks. Botswana, which is reportedly swelling its armed forces from about 7 500 to more than 10 000 soldiers, had no tanks before.
“At the end of the day, if you build up a large military without a purpose, it becomes a threat to the country [itself],” says Dr Jakkie Cilliers, executive director of the Johannesburg-based Institute for Defence Policy.
He points out that in spite of tension with Namibia over the ownership of a tiny island in the Zambezi River and perennial problems with Zimbabwe over refugees, Botswana has no natural enemies. “I think it has much more to do with the internal politics of the country.”
The chief of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is Lieutenant-General Ian Khama, son of the country’s first post-independence president, the late Sir Seretse Khama. The Khama family is seen as politically ambitious and another son, Tshekedi Khama, recently announced his candidature in the ruling party of President Quett Masire.
After three months of controversy, the Dutch government earlier this year agreed to sell the BDF an estimated 50 surplus Leopard tanks, 200 trucks and 50 pieces of portable weaponry. The independent Botswana newspaper Mmegi last month said the Dutch parliament had approved the sale after at first the country’s coalition government was split over the deal, which is reportedly worth US$63-million (about R252-million).
Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo argued Botswana needed the equipment for peacekeeping operations, while Jan Pronk, his Development Aid counterpart, was against Botswana, a developing country, being encouraged to “spend extraordinary amounts of money on defence”.
Dutch Defence Ministry representative Frank de Bruin told Mmegi that he could not reveal details of the sale as his country was “bound to a certain amount of discretion”, but said parliament finally agreed as it “conformed” with European Union policy, which stipulated that it should not affect regional peace, among other criteria. The Botswana government has refused to comment on the deal, but questions have now been tabled in parliament by the opposition.
The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in its latest military balance estimate that Botswana spent 415-million pula (about R550-million) on defence in 1993, upped it to P615-million (about R820) in 1994, and budgeted P625- million (about R833-million) last year. The BDF had an army of 7 000 soldiers and an air force of 500 personnel, but planned to expand by 3 000. The BDF was also awaiting delivery of 36 British Scorpion light tanks, the IISS said.
Cilliers says Botswana is building a large air base in the north, without apparent purpose. “Botswana’s defence expenditure is rising, but there is no threat. If South Africa were a threat, it could not defend itself in any case.”
Military analyst Helmoed Rsmer-Heitman agrees. “This is quite a build-up. It came as a surprise to me.” He says it may be that Botswana is “expecting trouble”, but it is as likely the result of internal political factors.
He says he is surprised the BDF decided on tracked vehicles rather than wheeled armoured cars, because of the terrain and long distances they may have to cover — but price could have been the deciding factor.
Botswana has contributed significantly to United Nations peacekeeping missions, including more than 700 soldiers to the Onumoz operation in Mozambique and more than 400 to Unosom II in Somalia.