President of Botswana

Head of state and government of Botswana

President of the Republic of Botswana

Tautona wa Botswana

Presidential flag

Incumbent
Mokgweetsi Masisi

since 1 April 2018

Style| Mr President
His Excellency
Residence| State House
Seat| Gaborone
Appointer| Parliament of Botswana
Term length| 5 years, renewable once
Constituting instrument| Constitution of Botswana
Inaugural holder| Seretse Khama
Formation| 30 September 1966
Deputy| Vice-President of Botswana
Website| P 1,075,056[1]

Politics of Botswana

Constitution

Government

* President

Mokgweetsi Masisi
* Vice-President

Slumber Tsogwane
* Cabinet of Botswana

Parliament

* National Assembly

Speaker: Phandu Skelemani
* Ntlo ya Dikgosi
(House of Chiefs)

* Constituencies

Judiciary

* High Court of Botswana

Administrative divisions

* Districts
* Sub-districts
* Villages

Elections

* Recent elections

* General: 2009
* 2014
* 2019
* 2024

* Political parties
* List of general elections in Botswana

Foreign relations

* Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Vincent T. Seretse

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in Botswana

* * *

* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* Other countries

* * *

Portal

* v
* t
* e

The president of the Republic of Botswana is the head of state and the head of government of Botswana, as well as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, according to the Constitution of Botswana.[2] Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966,[3] however he later became president of Botswana, and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.[3]

## Presidential term

[edit]

The president is elected to a five-year term that runs concurrently with the term of the National Assembly.[4] In 1997, Quett Masire created the Botswana presidential term limit.[5][6] The tenure of presidency has been limited to a total of 10 years (equivalent to two full terms), whether successive or separated.[6] The first president for whom the term limits applied was Festus Mogae in 2008.[7] Each president gets a guaranteed pension.[8]

## Election

[edit]

The president is elected by the Members of the National Assembly following a general election. All candidates for the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for president when they lodge their nomination papers, and the candidate who receives a majority of endorsements from the elected members of the National Assembly is automatically elected.[9][10][11] If no candidate receives a majority of endorsements, the National Assembly elects the president by simple majority, before it co-opts the specially elected members. If no president is elected after three ballots, or if the Speaker determines that no candidate has enough support to be elected, the legislature is automatically dissolved.[10] In practice, the president is the leader of the majority party in the Assembly.[12]

## Presidents of Botswana (1966–present)

[edit]

Political parties

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)

Symbols

† Died in office

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Elected[13][14] | Term of office  | Political party

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1  |  | Seretse Khama
(1921–1980)[15][16] | 1965
1969
1974
1979 | 30 September 1966[17] | 13 July 1980[†][14] | 13 years, 287 days  | BDP
2  |  | Quett Masire
(1925–2017)[5] | 1984
1989
1994 | 18 July 1980[14] | 31 March 1998[14] | 17 years, 256 days  | BDP
3  |  | Festus Mogae
(born 1939)[18] | 1999
2004 | 1 April 1998[19] | 1 April 2008[20] | 10 years  | BDP
4  |  | Ian Khama
(born 1953)[21] | 2009
2014 | 1 April 2008[22] | 1 April 2018[23] | 10 years  | BDP
5  |  | Mokgweetsi Masisi
(born 1961)[24] | 2019 | 1 April 2018[25] | Incumbent  | 6 years, 186 days  | BDP

## Lifespan timeline of presidents of Botswana

[edit]

This is a graphical lifespan timeline of presidents of Botswana. The presidents are listed in order of office.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Salaries" (PDF). 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
2. ^ "Botswana 1966 (rev. 2016) Constitution - Constitute". www.constituteproject.org. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
3. ^ a b "Countries Ba-Bo". www.rulers.org. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
4. ^ "Botswana: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
5. ^ a b Padnani 2017.
6. ^ a b "History". www.parliament.gov.bw. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
7. ^ Cook & Siegle.
8. ^ "PRESIDENTS (PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS)". Botswana Laws. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
9. ^ Chaudry 2009.
10. ^ a b "Constitution of Botswana 1966". www.commonlii.org. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
11. ^ Ntuane 2006.
12. ^ "About us". www.parliament.gov.bw. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
13. ^ "President Seretse Khama | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
14. ^ a b c d "65. Botswana (1966-present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
15. ^ Zuber, David (4 April 2022). "Seretse Khama (1921-1980) •". Retrieved 29 May 2024.
16. ^ "The "Unfortunate Marriage" of Seretse Khama | Inner Temple". www.innertemple.org.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
17. ^ "Seretse Khama (1921 - 1980) | The Presidency". www.thepresidency.gov.za. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
18. ^ "President Festus Mogae". KnowBotswana. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
19. ^ Nkala, Gideon (31 March 2008). "Mogae: portrait of a democrat(Mogae Legacy)". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
20. ^ "Reflections on a Presidency: 10 Years at Botswana's Helm | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
21. ^ "Ian Khama (Seretse Khama Ian Khama) | Profile | Africa Confidential". www.africa-confidential.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
22. ^ "Ian Khama". The Brenthurst Foundation. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
23. ^ "Human Rights Defender barred from entering Botswana". Civicus Monitor. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
24. ^ "Botswana: Mokgweetsi Masisi takes over presidency – DW – 03/31/2018". dw.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
25. ^ "Botswana swears in Mokgweetsi Masisi as president". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 May 2024.

### Works cited

[edit]

* Padnani, Amisha (29 June 2017). "Ketumile Masire, Who Shaped and Led a Vibrant Botswana, Dies at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
* Ntuane, Batsalo (22 May 2006). "Democratic forces must safeguard presidential term limits". Mmegi.bw. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
* Chaudry, Serena (18 October 2009). "Botswana's President Khama wins new term". The Independent. Reuters. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
* Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 28 May 2024.

## See also

[edit]

* Politics portal

* Politics of Botswana
* First Lady of Botswana
* List of commissioners of Bechuanaland
* List of heads of government of Botswana
* Vice-President of Botswana

* v
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Presidents of Botswana

* Seretse Khama
* Quett Masire
* Festus Mogae
* Ian Khama
* Mokgweetsi Masisi

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