Africa-Press – Botswana. The Government of Botswana has secured P500 million to facilitate the long-awaited payment of retirement benefits owed to members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), the Ministry for State President announced this week.
The funds, which will be channelled through the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF), are intended to cover the transfer value adjustment that arose following changes in the pension calculation formula — specifically the reduction of the pension denominator to n/375.
Retired BDF members prioritized
The Ministry confirmed that priority will be given to retired BDF members, as the available funds may not be sufficient to cover all affected personnel. Remaining members will be paid as more funds become available, the statement noted.
This marks the second major payout by government towards the BDF pension obligation. By December 2024, the government had already paid 52% of the retired members at a cost of P1 billion, before funds ran dry.
“The Government remains steadfast and commits to honouring its promise despite the current financial constraints,” the ministry stated.
Payments deadline
The payments are expected to be made before the end of July 2025, offering relief to many retired soldiers who have been waiting for the outstanding adjustments to their pensions.
The pension controversy has for a very long time sparked concerns and criticism from affected ex-servicemen, many of whom have long called for government accountability and timely disbursement of benefits.
Although public outcry has since subsided, it remains to be seen what will come of the ongoing court case in which retired soldiers are challenging the net replacement ratio — the formula used to determine how much of their final salary they receive as pension.
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