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43-592: The Botswana Defence Force ( BDF , Tswana : Sesole Sa Botswana ) is the military of Botswana . The main component of the BDF is the Botswana Ground Force ; there is also an air wing and a riverine patrol contingent attached to the ground forces, with 10 Panther airboats and 2 Boston Whaler Raider class. At independence in 1966, Botswana made a decision to not establish a standing military and focus instead on development and poverty alleviation, and instead created

86-440: A VL MICA truck-mounted radar or command post vehicle. According to the report, France delivered 14 missile launchers to Botswana in 2016. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Arms Transfer Database notes that Botswana bought 100 Strela-3/SA-14 surface-to-air missiles from Ukraine in 2012. The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) has confirmed negotiations with Swedish aircraft manufacturer Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) for

129-592: A deal for 45 Piranha 3 armoured vehicles from Swiss company GDELS-Mowag, Artillery Equipments from Elbit Systems in Israel, Botswana in 2020 received the VL MICA ground-based air defense system, a Panhard VBL fitted with a missile launcher assembly most likely for the Mistral anti-aircraft system can be seen. Others include a Unimog U5000-mounted Mistral command post, a VL MICA anti-aircraft missile transporter-erector-launcher truck, and

172-919: A firefight in the Moremi Game Reserve . United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) In 1992 and 1993, a BDF contingent participated in Operation Restore Hope , a United States-led coalition of forces to restore peace in Somalia during the Somali Civil War , and following the end of Operation Restore Hope, the BDF participated in UNOSOM II , a subsequent UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia that lasted from 1993 to 1995. United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) In 1993 BDF troops participated in

215-646: A large complex of living quarters and support buildings. Sometimes referred to as the "Eagle" project, the base has received continual improvements since its inception. Other airports used are Sir Seretse Khama International Airport at Gaborone and Francistown International Airport in Francistown . The backbone of the Air Wing consists of a squadron of former Canadian CF-116s which are locally designated as BF-5s. Thirteen ex-Canadian CF-116s (ten single-seater CF-5As and three trainer CF-5Bs) were ordered in 1996 to replace

258-530: A re-training programme for Lesotho Defence Force members. From 1998 to 1999, 380 BDF soldiers formed part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) task force to quell an internal uprising in Lesotho. Botswana withdrew its contingent when the situation was thought to be stable enough to no longer require their presence. Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique ( SAMIM ) In July 2021 Botswana deployed troops to Mozambique to take part in

301-407: A secondary stress in the first part of the word. The syllable on which the stress falls is lengthened. Thus, mosadi (woman) is realised as [mʊ̀ˈsáːdì] . Tswana has two tones , high and low, but the latter has a much wider distribution in words than the former. Tones are not marked orthographically , which may lead to ambiguity. An important feature of the tones is the so-called spreading of

344-616: A short note regarding the common characteristics of most nouns within their respective classes. Some nouns may be found in several classes. For instance, many class 1 nouns are also found in class 1a, class 3, class 4, and class 5. Moremi Game Reserve Moremi Game Reserve is just under 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 sq mi) in extent, covering much of the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and combining permanent water with drier areas, which create some startling and unexpected contrasts. Some prominent geographical features of

387-493: A small military police force for internal security, However, cross-border incursions by Rhodesian and South African security forces in the mid-1970s led the government to conclude that the country needed a military to protect its sovereignty. The BDF was established by an act of parliament on 15 April 1977. The BDF conducted patrols along the border with Rhodesia in the closing years of the Rhodesian Bush War . Following

430-558: A variety of areas. Helicopter game viewing flights are available from most lodges. Roads in Moremi Game Reserve change dramatically depending upon the season and the water level of the Delta. When the flood waters are high some of the roads are waterlogged while sandy areas which are much harder to navigate during the hot summer months. Moremi Game Reserve is a low impact park, which means that there are few vehicles and people around. This

473-526: A variety of functions; search and rescue , medevac , anti-poaching and troop & VIP transport. Tswana language Tswana , also known by its native name Setswana , and previously spelled Sechuana in English, is a Bantu language spoken in and indigenous to Southern Africa by about 8.2 million people. It is closely related to the Northern Sotho and Southern Sotho languages, as well as

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516-402: Is considered a significant habitat for African wild dog and the population there have been the subject of a project run in the area since 1989; thus this species is often seen wearing collars emplaced by researchers. Proclaimed a reserve in 1963, it was named after Chief Moremi III of the local Batawana tribe from Ngamiland . Chief Moremi's widow, Elizabeth Pulane Moremi , - who was ruling

559-461: Is great for game viewing as you are often alone at a sighting, but it also means that help isn't readily available away from the main roads. Ensure you have a sufficient recovery kit and know how to use it, and you'll need a snorkel on your vehicle for water crossings. If you are driving a rental vehicle, double check the rental company's rules and regulation regarding driving through water. Starting April 2019, poaching has risen at an alarming rate in

602-496: Is known as Pretoria Sotho , and is the principal unique language of the city of Pretoria . The three South African provinces with the most speakers are Gauteng (circa 11%), Northern Cape , and North West (over 70%). Until 1994, South African Tswana people were notionally citizens of Bophuthatswana , one of the bantustans of the apartheid regime. The Setswana language in the Northwest Province has variations in which it

645-700: Is mainland, with the bulk being within the Okavango Delta itself. Moremi Game Reserve, although not one of the largest parks, presents insights and views even for the most experienced of travelers. Its habitats are surprisingly diverse, combining mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons. It is home to nearly 500 species of bird (from water birds to forest dwellers), and a vast array of other species of wildlife including lion , leopard , African bush elephant , African buffalo , black rhinoceros , hippopotamus , giraffe , plains zebra , blue wildebeest , cheetah , spotted hyena , black-backed jackal , common warthog , impala , and lechwe . The Moremi area

688-521: Is realised as either /x/ or /h/ by many speakers; /f/ is realised as /h/ in most dialects; and /tɬ/ and /tɬʰ/ are realised as /t/ and /tʰ/ in northern dialects. The consonant /ŋ/ can exist at the end of a word without being followed by a vowel (as in Jwaneng and Barolong Seboni ). Stress is fixed in Tswana and thus always falls on the penult of a word, although some compounds may receive

731-543: Is spoken according to the ethnic groups found in the Tswana culture (Bakgatla, Barolong, Bakwena, Batlhaping, Bahurutshe, Bafokeng, Batlokwa, Bataung, and Batswapong, among others); the written language remains the same. A small number of speakers are also found in Zimbabwe (unknown number) and Namibia (about 10,000 people). The first European to describe the language was the German traveller Hinrich Lichtenstein , who lived among

774-619: The Kgalagadi language and the Lozi language . Setswana is an official language of Botswana , South Africa , and Zimbabwe . It is a lingua franca in Botswana and parts of South Africa, particularly North West Province . Tswana speaking ethnic groups are found in more than two provinces of South Africa, primarily in the North West , where about four million people speak the language. An urbanised variety

817-539: The Medu Art Ensemble . The BDF came under pressure to stop these attacks, but never managed to fire a shot at South African troops. The BDF set up roadblocks and imposed curfews in response to the incursions. Following the end of apartheid , the BDF's missions increasingly focused on anti-poaching activities, disaster-preparedness and response (including search and rescue), support to civil authorities and foreign peacekeeping . A well-respected institution trusted by

860-470: The Strikemasters , with another three single-seaters and two dual-seaters delivered in 2000. For transport, the Air Wing uses Britten-Norman Defenders , CASA C-212 Aviocars , CASA CN-235s and C-130B Hercules . The latest addition to the transport fleet was an ex- AMARC C-130 Hercules to complement the two existing aircraft. A combination of Bell 412EP and 412SP helicopters are operated by Z21 and perform

903-737: The Tswana people Batlhaping in 1806 although his work was not published until 1930. He mistakenly regarded Tswana as a dialect of the Xhosa , and the name that he used for the language "Beetjuana" may also have covered the Northern and Southern Sotho languages . The first major work on Tswana was carried out by the British missionary Robert Moffat , who had also lived among the Batlhaping , and published Bechuana Spelling Book and A Bechuana Catechism in 1826. In

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946-740: The United Nations Operation in Mozambique , the UN peacekeeping operation in Mozambique. United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR II) From 1993 to 1994, a team of BDF officers participated in a UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda as observers. Southern African Development Community intervention in Lesotho (Operation Boleas) The BDF participated in Operation Boleas , a SADC military intervention in Lesotho in 1998. This operation culminated in

989-612: The close-mid vowels /e/ and /o/ . The circumflex on e and o in general Setswana writing is only encouraged at elementary levels of education and not at upper primary or higher; usually these are written without the circumflex. The consonant inventory of Tswana can be seen below. The consonant /d/ is merely an allophone of /l/ , when the latter is followed by the vowels /i/ or /u/ . Two more sounds, v /v/ and z /z/ , exist only in loanwords. Tswana also has three click consonants , but these are only used in interjections or ideophones , and tend only to be used by

1032-466: The 2001/2002 fiscal, Botswana has spent millions in a modernisation drive of its armed forces. The BDF seeks to replace assets such as aircraft, vehicles and defence equipment and also training Batswana aircraft engineers and technicians. The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is expected to continue with the acquisition of new equipment, specifically fighter/trainer aircraft, aerial defence systems, tanks and armoured personnel carriers. Other procurements include

1075-452: The BDF provided assistance during the flooding that affected a large community around the Kasane area. The BDF also engages in anti-poaching operations to protect wildlife. BDF soldiers operate under shoot-to-kill orders and have engaged in firefights with armed poachers. Dozens of poachers have been killed or arrested in BDF operations. In 2020 a BDF soldier was killed along with a poacher during

1118-551: The BDF undertook rescue missions during floods that hit major parts of the country. The following year, it deployed soldiers and equipment at Sua Pan in 'Operation Save Sua' to save the berm wall of Botswana Ash (Botash) plant, which was being threatened by heavy floods. The soldiers laid 90,000 sandbags and 12,000 tyres in the operation. During the floods that hit Ramotswa and its surrounding areas in February 2006, BDF teams carried out rescue missions and saved hundreds of lives. In 2009,

1161-463: The Reserve and it is strongly recommended that visitors should take precautions before, during and after a visit. Botswana has been able to develop its tourism without the urgent need for revenues that face many other African countries. An eco-tourism policy of high yield, but low impact, has resulted in visitors being able to experience an Africa in its most natural, unspoilt and impressive condition. Thus

1204-622: The Reserve are Chiefs Island and the Moremi Tongue. In the Moremi Reserve one can experience excellent views of savannah game as well as bird-watching on the lagoons. There are also thickly wooded areas, which are home to the Cape wild dog ( Lycaon pictus pictus ) and leopard . To the northeast lies the Chobe National Park which borders the Moremi Game Reserve. Only about 30% of the reserve

1247-417: The Reserve itself has very few lodges, and only four areas set-aside for camping (at South Gate, Third Bridge, Xakanaxa, and Khwai). There are a number of lodges on the outskirts of the Reserve, whose guests visit on daily game drives. Travel between lodges is accomplished by light aircraft and helicopter transfers, as most lodges have their own airstrips. Therefore, you can easily combine a number of lodges in

1290-1018: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission there as part of the SADC Standby Force deployed to provide regional support to the Republic of Mozambique to combat the looming threat of terrorism and acts of violent extremism in the Cabo Delgado Region. The BDF has also been successfully deployed as part of the UN peacekeeping operations in both Somalia and the Darfur region of Sudan . The BDF has also deployed personnel to serve on an African Union Liaison Mission in Ethiopia/Eritrea and has military observers in Darfur and Sudan with UNAMID . The BDF ground forces consists of

1333-545: The US each year; by 1999 approximately 85% of the BDF officers are said to have been trained through this arrangement. The training institutions in the BDF include among others Military College, Defence Command and Staff College (DCSC), Flying Training School (FTE), Technical Training School (TTS), Peace Support Training Centre (PSTC), All Arms Battle School and the Joint Technical Training School (JTTS). The Air Wing

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1376-496: The acquisition of between eight and 12 JAS Gripen "C" and "D" aircraft variants to replace its ageing fleet of Canadian-made F-5 fighter jets. The BDF's search for new military hardware has also taken it to South Korea as it shows interest in modified K2 Black Panther main battle tanks. The Botswana Defence Force (BDF) is in the process of procuring data extraction and analytical tools to upgrade their cyber force to boost cyberwarfare, cybersecurity, and counter-cyberwarfare. In 1995,

1419-455: The area at the time, took steps to conserve the wildlife due to her concern about the toll hunting was taking on the animal population. In the 1970s Chief Moremi's Royal Hunting Grounds were included into the Reserve to further expand it. The Reserve offers the opportunity to explore not only in 4x4's but on foot and by mokoro - a dug-out canoe, hewn from either ebony or sausage-tree , and poled by your personal guide. Although, today most of

1462-572: The end of the war and the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980, attention shifted towards South Africa. Anti- apartheid groups used Botswana as a refuge, and this led to several cross-border raids by the South African Defence Force . A turning point was the Raid on Gaborone on 14 June 1985, following apartheid South Africa's murderous raid in Gaborone , which resulted in the deaths of four members of

1505-591: The following units: The BDF Command and Staff College is located at Glenn Valley. The training of officer cadets lasts 12 months at the Paje Officer Academy. The course includes basic and leadership skills training. Applicants are required to have at least a bachelor's degree. International Military Education and Training funds from the United States are important to Botswana's officer training programme. Over 50 Botswana officers receive military training in

1548-538: The following years, he published several other books of the Bible , and in 1857, he was able to publish a complete translation of the Bible. The first grammar of Tswana was published in 1833 by the missionary James Archbell although it was modelled on a Xhosa grammar. The first grammar of Tswana which regarded it as a separate language from Xhosa (but still not as a separate language from the Northern and Southern Sotho languages)

1591-651: The high tone. If a syllable bears a high tone, the following two syllables will have high tones unless they are at the end of the word. Tswana orthography is based on the Latin alphabet. The letter š was introduced in 1937, but the corresponding sound is still sometimes written as ⟨sh⟩. The letters ⟨ê⟩ and ⟨ô⟩ are used in textbooks and language reference books, but not so much in daily standard writing. Nouns in Tswana are grouped into nine noun classes and one subclass, each having different prefixes . The nine classes and their respective prefixes can be seen below, along with

1634-417: The mekoro (plural of mokoro), are made from fibreglass, thus helping to preserve the magnificent, and old, trees of the area. Game viewing is at its peak from July to October, when seasonal pans dry up and the wildlife concentrates on the permanent water. From October until the start of the rains in late November or early December, the weather can be extremely hot. Malarial mosquitoes are prevalent throughout

1677-404: The older generation, and are therefore falling out of use. The three click consonants are the dental click /ǀ/ , orthographically ⟨c⟩ ; the lateral click /ǁ/ , orthographically ⟨x⟩ ; and the alveolar click /ǃ/ , orthographically ⟨q⟩ . There are some minor dialectal variations among the consonants between speakers of Tswana. For instance, /χ/

1720-444: The political leadership, the BDF has seen its role increase over time to include non-traditional missions such as disaster response and reinforcement of the police during the holiday season and high crime periods. The BDF's professionalism and ability to successfully accomplish any task the government gives it has at times resulted in overtasking in support to civil authorities. In 2015 the BDF recruited its first female privates. From

1763-407: The reserve. Organised poaching rings slaughtered 46 rhinos in 10 months, representing almost 10% of Botswana's 500 rhinos. Officials feared a wipeout of both rhino species, as most of Botswana's rhinos roam the grassy plains of the northern Okavango Delta, where Moremi Game Reserve is situated. The poaching is driven by the insatiable demand for rhino horn, which fetches up to $ 60,000 / kg. This park

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1806-477: Was formed in 1977 and is organisationally part of the Botswana Defence Force. All squadrons are designated with a Z, which is used as a designation for "squadron". The main base is near Molepolole and was built by mostly foreign contractors between 1992 and 1996. The base is a multi-stage project that included runways, taxiways, extensive shelter and ordnance storage facilities, a headquarters facility and

1849-500: Was published by the French missionary, E. Casalis in 1841. He changed his mind later, and in a publication from 1882, he noted that the Northern and Southern Sotho languages were distinct from Tswana. Solomon Plaatje , a South African intellectual and linguist , was one of the first writers to extensively write in and about the Tswana language. The vowel inventory of Tswana can be seen below. Some dialects have two additional vowels,

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