- Two organisations of retired soldiers say their members have not received any payments
- Defence minister Mmusi has repeatedly said the first batch of pension payments has been made
GAZETTE REPORTER
Contrary to claims by the Minister of Defence and Security, Kagiso Mmusi, retired soldiers have not received their pension payments.
This was said by Brigadier (rtd) Thulaganyo Masisi, who is President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s younger brother, as the Chairman of the Military Veterans of Botswana, and the Secretary General of the Botswana Defence Force Retired Members Association (BDFRMA), Brigadier (rtd) Mabe Gaborone, in interviews with The Botswana Gazette.
They were responding to Minister Mmusi who has repeatedly stated that the first batch of pension payments has been made, a claim that he repeated in an interview with this publication this week.
Political factors
“None of our members have received their pension payments as promised and claimed,” Brigadier Masisi said. “The issue with the pension funds is heavily influenced by political factors.
“The public service is intentionally undermining the current government, preventing it from fulfilling its commitments and deadlines to retired soldiers.
“This is not just a suspicion. I am certain of it. The delays and difficulties are driven by political motives.”
Echoing Brigadier Masisi’s sentiments, Brigadier Gaborone BDFRMA stated: “We are not surprised by these tactics because it has been this way since the beginning,” he said.
“We will see them in court”
“None of our members have received any money, yet the minister keeps claiming that the first batch has been paid. But we don’t really expect anything better from them. We will see them in court.”
The government had committed to making the first payments by June or July this year.
As matters currently stand, Brigadier Masisi’s camp is awaiting the money but the other organisation, BDFRMA, is contesting what it considers unlawful transfer of members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) from their rightful pension scheme, as stipulated in the BDF Act, to the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF).
BDFRMA wants the issue of Net Replacement Ratio, an international standard that determines the pension amount that former employees should receive to maintain a decent standard of living in retirement, addressed.
Between zero and 23%
The standard is set at 75 percent of pre-retirement earnings. However, BDF retirees say they receive between zero and 23 percent while their civilian counterparts receive over 70 percent.
The legal battle began in 2020 with approximately 200 soldiers, led by former BDF Commander Gaolathe Galebotswe, challenging the government’s decision to move the pension plan of BDF members who enlisted before 1st April 2001 to BPOPF.
The retired soldiers assert that this transition was unlawful and lacked proper legal foundation, insisting their pension entitlements should be calculated according to BDF Act regulations.