| First Lady of Botswana | |
|---|---|
| Inaugural holder | Ruth Williams Khama |
| Formation | September 30, 1966 |
 |
|---|
| Constitution |
The first lady of the Republic of Botswana [1] [2] is the wife of the president of Botswana. The current first lady is Neo Masisi, the wife of President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The role is largely ceremonial and has no salary. President Masisi has said that his wife does not have the remit to influence government policies. [3]
There was no first lady from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018, as President Ian Khama was unmarried. The absence of a first lady was problematic for some official functions, and there were moves to find a substitute for some occasions. [4] President Kharma's unmarried status was controversial because of the requirements of tribal traditions. [5]
| Name | Portrait | Term began | Term ended | President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Williams Khama [6] [7] |  | 30 September 1966 | 13 July 1980 | Seretse Khama | |
| Gladys Olebile Masire [1] [8] |  | 13 July 1980 | 31 March 1998 | Quett Masire | |
| Barbara Mogae [9] | 1 April 1998 | 1 April 2008 | Festus Mogae | ||
| Vacant | 1 April 2008 | 1 April 2018 | Ian Khama | President Ian Khama never married. [5] | |
| Neo Masisi |  | 1 April 2018 | - | Mokgweetsi Masisi | |
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. It is connected by the Kazungula Bridge to Zambia, across the world's shortest border between two countries.
The Batswana, a term also used to denote all citizens of Botswana, refers to the country's major ethnic group. Prior to European contact, the Batswana lived as herders and farmers under tribal rule.
Botswana is a parliamentary republic in which the President of Botswana is both head of state and head of government. The nation's politics are based heavily on British parliamentary politics and on traditional Batswana chiefdom. The legislature is made up of the unicameral National Assembly and the advisory body of tribal chiefs, the Ntlo ya Dikgosi. The National Assembly chooses the president, but once in office the president has significant authority over the legislature with only limited separation of powers. The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) rules as a dominant party; while elections are considered free and fair by observers, the BDP has controlled the National Assembly since independence. Political opposition often exists between factions in the BDP rather than through separate parties, though several opposition parties exist and regularly hold a small number of seats in the National Assembly.
The Botswana Democratic Party is the governing party in Botswana. Its chairman is the Vice-President of Botswana, Slumber Tsogwane, and its symbol is a lift jack. The party has ruled Botswana continuously since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. The BDP is sometimes classified as a paternalistic conservative party and is also a consultative member of the Socialist International since 2014, which is a group including many worldwide social-democratic parties.
Ketumile Quett Joni Masire, GCMG, was the second and longest-serving president of Botswana, in office from 1980 to 1998. He was given an honorary knighthood of the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George by Queen Elizabeth II (GCMG) in 1991.
Sir Seretse Goitsebeng Maphiri Khama, GCB, KBE was a Motswana politician who served as the first President of Botswana, a post he held from 1966 to his death in 1980.
Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe was a Botswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2008 to 2012. He was a retired Lieutenant-General and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008.
Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi is a Botswana journalist and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Botswana from 2014 until December 2018. She was appointed to the National Assembly of Botswana in 1999 as one of the four specially selected members and was re-elected in the 2004 general elections.
Seretse Khama Ian Khama is a Botswana politician and former military officer who was the fourth President of the Republic of Botswana from 1 April 2008 to 1 April 2018. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, he entered politics and was Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election and was re-elected in October 2014.
Margaret Nnananyana Nasha is a Botswana politician who served as the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014. She was the first woman to hold the position.
Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba, known as Trevor Mwamba, is an Anglican bishop. He was consecrated Bishop of Botswana on 6 February 2005. He tendered his resignation as Bishop of Botswana on 30 September 2012 – the day on which Botswana marks the anniversary of its independence from Britain. His successor was consecrated on 14 July 2013. On 4 April 2021, he was elected President of the United National Independence Party in Zambia.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is a Botswana politician who is the fifth and current President of Botswana, serving since 2018. He served as the 8th Vice President of Botswana from 12 November 2014 to 1 April 2018. He was a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly for the Moshupa-Manyana constituency from 2009 to 2018.
Gladys Molefi Olebile Masire was a Botswana teacher and political figure who served as the longest ruling First Lady of Botswana from 1980 until 1998.
Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba is a Botswana administrator and an international civil servant, with over 30 years senior-level experience in the fields of business, development and multilateral diplomacy. Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba was the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General from 2008 to 2014.
Events in the year 2017 in Botswana.
Barbara Gemma Mogae is a Botswana public figure and politician who served as the third First Lady of Botswana from 1998 until 2008. She is the wife of former President Festus Mogae.
Neo Jane Masisi also known as Mma Atsile is the First Lady of Botswana, the wife of President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Masisi is a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Botswana saw the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Lockdowns were implemented between March and May, and restrictions continued throughout the year. The previous year's general election was disputed by the opposition, and several cases were filed to overturn the results. Tensions rose with South Africa in 2020 as Botswana sought the prosecution of Bridgette Radebe. Concerns regarding wildlife conservation increased in 2020 as elephants began dying off in large numbers, as well as similar concerns about vultures. Armed conflicts with poachers continued throughout the year, including the killing of four men in November that caused protests in Namibia.
Botswana continued to address the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, including the discovery of the COVID-19 variant Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, with COVID-19 restrictions being relaxed in October. Continued disputes took place regarding the Botswana–Namibia border, though an open border was established in September. The rivalry between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama escalated in 2022, accelerated by firearms charges against Khama and a warrant for his arrest. The government also saw controversy for its support of bills that would grant it additional espionage powers and regulate journalists.
 Years in Botswana (1966–present) | |
|---|---|
| 20th century | |
| 21st century | |
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