President of Botswana

Head of state and government of Botswana

President of the Republic of Botswana

Tautona wa Botswana

Presidential flag

Incumbent
Duma Boko

since 1 November 2024

Style| Mr President
His Excellency
Residence| State House
Seat| Gaborone
Appointer| Parliament of Botswana
Term length| Five years,
renewable once
Constituting instrument| Constitution of Botswana (1966)
Inaugural holder| Seretse Khama
Formation| 30 September 1966; 58 years ago (1966-09-30)
Deputy| Vice-President of Botswana
Salary| P 1,075,056[1]

Politics of Botswana

Constitution

Government

* President

Duma Boko
* Vice-President

Ndaba Gaolathe
* Boko cabinet

Parliament

* National Assembly

Speaker: Dithapelo Keorapetse
* 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: Phenyo Butale

* * *

* 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 Botswana Defence Force, according to the Constitution.[2] The president is elected by the National Assembly, the sole house of the Parliament, and is usually the leader of the largest party. The Constitution limits the president's tenure to two five-year terms. The first president to be elected under the constitution was Sir Seretse Khama, who was the prime minister from 1965 until 1966, after which he served as president until his death on 13 July, 1980.[3] The most recent incumbent is Duma Boko, who was elected by the National Assembly on 1 November 2024 following the 2024 general election. The president may be removed by a motion of no confidence.

## Presidential term

[edit]

The president is elected to a five-year term that runs concurrently with the term of the National Assembly.[4] Previously, a president could be reelected any number of times. In 1997, under the second president, Quett Masire, term limits were imposed on the office for the first time.[5][6] Since 1998, the president has been limited to a total of 10 years in office (equivalent to two full terms), whether successive or separated.[6] The first president for whom the term limits applied was Festus Mogae, who was required to leave office for good in 2008.[7] Each president gets a guaranteed pension.[8]

## Election

[edit]

During the general election campaign, all candidates for the National Assembly declare whom they endorse for President when they lodge their nomination papers. If a party or alliance secures an absolute majority of elected MPs in the legislative elections, its presidential candidate, always the party or alliance's leader, becomes the new president immediately without the need for an investiture vote.[9][10][11] In practice, since legislative elections are conducted through first-past-the-post voting, elections have always produced single-party majority governments ever since the first general election in 1965 and thus a presidential election by Members of Parliament has never happened.

The president is elected by the members of the National Assembly following a general election that produces a hung parliament. In the event that no candidate secures a simple majority, the National Assembly elects the president through secret ballot, with a simple majority of the total number of MPs (excluding 'specially-elected' MPs) required to win. This election is limited to candidates whose party at least 10 MPs. If, after three rounds of voting, no candidate is elected, two additional rounds may be authorized by the speaker, if it is deemed that a successful election remains possible. Should these rounds also fail to produce a winner, or if the speaker declines to authorise further rounds, the National Assembly will be dissolved and snap elections will be held.[9]

The president's survival in office is dependent on whether their government enjoys the confidence of a majority of the National Assembly. They can be removed by a motion of no confidence, prompting their resignation or if not, the dissolution of parliament if the president refuses to do so, which triggers a snap election.

## Presidential powers

[edit]

The president is the head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the Botswana Defence Force. The rights, responsibilities and remuneration of the president are enumerated in Chapter III of the Constitution and subsequent acts passed by the National Assembly.

The executive powers of the republic are vested in the president, who appoints various officials to positions listed in the Constitution, the most significant of which are the cabinet ministers and Justices of Appeal of the Court of Appeal. The president should consult the Cabinet on respective matters of policy. The president could assent or withhold his assent on bills passed by the National Assembly. If the National Assembly passed the bill again the President shall assent or withhold his assent within 21 days, or could dissolve the National Assembly. The president is accorded the constitutional powers to declare state of public emergencies and grant pardons or commutation with the advice of the Advisory Committee of Prerogative of Mercy.

## List of officeholders

[edit]

Political parties

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)

Botswana National Front (BNF)

Symbols

† Died in office

No. | Portrait  | Name
(Birth–Death) | Elected[12][13] | Term of office  | Political party
(Coalition)

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Time in office
1  |  | Seretse Khama
(1921–1980)[14][15] | 1965
1969
1974
1979 | 30 September 1966[16] | 13 July 1980[†][13] | 13 years, 287 days  | BDP
2  |  | Quett Masire
(1925–2017)[5] | 1984
1989
1994 | 18 July 1980[13] | 31 March 1998[13] | 17 years, 256 days  | BDP
3  |  | Festus Mogae
(born 1939)[17] | 1999
2004 | 1 April 1998[18] | 1 April 2008[19] | 10 years  | BDP
4  |  | Ian Khama
(born 1953)[20] | 2009
2014 | 1 April 2008[21] | 1 April 2018[22] | 10 years  | BDP
5  |  | Mokgweetsi Masisi
(born 1961)[23] | 2019 | 1 April 2018[24] | 1 November 2024  | 6 years, 214 days  | BDP
6  |  | Duma Boko
(born 1969) | 2024 | 1 November 2024[25] | Incumbent  | 289 days  | BNF
(UDC)

### Timeline

[edit]

## 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

## 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. ^ "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. ^ a b "Constitution of Botswana 1966". www.commonlii.org. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
10. ^ Chaudry 2009.
11. ^ Ntuane 2006.
12. ^ "President Seretse Khama | South African History Online". www.sahistory.org.za. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
13. ^ a b c d "65. Botswana (1966–present)". uca.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
14. ^ Zuber, David (4 April 2022). "Seretse Khama (1921–1980) •". Retrieved 29 May 2024.
15. ^ "The "Unfortunate Marriage" of Seretse Khama | Inner Temple". www.innertemple.org.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
16. ^ "Seretse Khama (1921–1980) | The Presidency". www.thepresidency.gov.za. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
17. ^ "President Festus Mogae". KnowBotswana. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
18. ^ Nkala, Gideon (31 March 2008). "Mogae: portrait of a democrat(Mogae Legacy)". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
19. ^ "Reflections on a Presidency: 10 Years at Botswana's Helm". www.wilsoncenter.org. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
20. ^ "Ian Khama (Seretse Khama Ian Khama) | Profile | Africa Confidential". www.africa-confidential.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
21. ^ "Ian Khama". The Brenthurst Foundation. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
22. ^ "Human Rights Defender barred from entering Botswana". Civicus Monitor. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
23. ^ "Botswana: Mokgweetsi Masisi takes over presidency – DW – 03/31/2018". dw.com. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
24. ^ "Botswana swears in Mokgweetsi Masisi as president". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
25. ^ "Duma Boko sworn in as Botswana's new president". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 1 November 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.

* v
* t
* e

Presidents of Botswana

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

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