The Voice (Francistown)
Gontse Gareebine
29 April 2008
Francistown — Captain Ben Ragalase, the Botswana Defense Force's Protocol and Public Affairs Officer has said that the Botswana Defence Force military exercise to test the readiness of the army, code named operation Matsubutsubu does not pose any danger to either the public or the soldiers themselves as it is just a simulation where no live ammunition will be used.
Areas where the exercise will take place include Boatlaname, Lentsweletau, Medio and other smaller communities surrounding areas of the central district.
"It is through such an exercise that soldiers' skills will be put to the test. The militia will be accompanied by Corps of Medical Services as well as get medical training themselves. This exercise aims to sharpen the expertise and tactics of the soldiers and allows skills sharing between different units so as to support each other during combat," said Captain Ragalase Before Matsubutsubu, the BDF took part in Exercise Thokgamo, which was a multi-national training event that included SADC countries armies. Thokgamo was held in Ngamiland district in 2005. Another army exercise, Air-Borne Africa, took place in 2002 in areas covering Gumare and Maun and involved both SADC and international participation. Exercise Matsubutsubu, however is strictly for the BDF personnel.
" BDF answers to other national calls such as assisting the police in the fight against crime, assisting the Department of Wildlife in anti-poaching and helping the Ministry of Agriculture control Foot & Mouth disease. All the above mentioned duties consume a significant amount of BDF workforce and resources, hence a need for an exercise such as this one.
Matsubutsubu is a code name for the exercise in reference to aggressive winds which assimilate the nature of the exercise. The public at large is informed that all the necessary precautions have been taken in order to ensure their safety and the public is further requested to work together with the soldiers in order for them to excel in their training," a press release from the BDF said
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