The Mission Support Allowance is still being processed and will be paid accordingly – BDF
Disgruntled Botswana Defence Force (BDF) soldiers who were deployed at Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique for the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) operations have complained of delayed payments by their employer.
The group complained that the delayed payment was an inconvenience to them and that they were becoming impatient. The soldiers who were in Mozambique for seven months came back in August with each claiming to be owed around P90 000.
“We are 350 in our group and our bosses know that we were coming back and should have prepared our payments well on time instead of us having to suffer. We are adults who have plans and mouths to feed,” they voiced out.
However, BDF mouthpiece, Colonel Magosi Moshagane, confirmed the delay of some payment.
“Botswana, as a member state of the SADC community, recently deployed personnel there and in such instances, deployed members are entitled to payment of Foreign Deployment Allowance (FDA) in line with existing policies and regulations of the BDF. Married service members are furthermore entitled to Family Allowance for the entire duration and all that has been paid.”
Moshagane explained that the Mission Support Allowance is the one that was behind and was still being processed and will be paid accordingly.
“The Defence Force wishes to assure members of the public that the welfare of its members is of paramount importance and shall remain so, as the BDF continues to execute its mandate in the defence of the country and national interests.”
