The tenure of the Commander of Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Lieutenant General Gaolathe Galebotswe will come to an end at the end of July as he has reached the statutory age of retirement and speculation is rife in the army about his successor. Although there are four senior officers who can replace General Galebotswe, President Ian Khama – who is the appointing authority as the commander in chief – might bring someone outside the top four. The change in the army command will start to unravel beginning of April this year when President Khama would be appointing new senior officers while some will be retiring, military sources have revealed. Last year President Khama made some changes which some within the BDF high command and saw that as the launch of the succession plan within the 39-year-old army.“The appointment of a BDF commander is always ‘political’, but the politics are usually internal within the government – in the end the choice lies with the President – and it stays internal,” said a military source. In 2015 President Khama promoted two senior BDF officers Brigadier Seleka Phatshwane and Brigadier Molefi Seikano to the rank Major General. Seikano took over as the commander…