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 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. Sir Seretse Khama was the prime minister from 1965 to 1966,however he later became president of Botswana,and as of 2024 there have been no prime ministers since.
The Botswana Democratic Party is a political party in Botswana. It was the ruling party of Botswana for 58 years,from independence in 1966 until the 2024 general election. Its chairman is Slumber Tsogwane and its symbol is a lift jack. The BDP is sometimes classified as a paternalistic conservative party,but it is also a consultative member of the Socialist International,a worldwide alliance of social-democratic parties. The BDP was shaped primarily by two of its founders,Seretse Khama and Quett Ketumile Masire. Traditional Setswana communities make up the party's base,which has led the BDP to remain a conservative movement.
Tshekedi Stanford Khama is a Botswana politician. He was MP for Serowe West from 2008 to 21 April 2023. He was automatically disqualified from the National Assembly after missing two consecutive sessions because of his self-imposed exile to South Africa.
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.
Ponatshego Honorius Kefaeng Kedikilwe is a Motswana politician who was Vice-President of Botswana from 2012 to 2014. A member of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP),he has also served as Minister of Minerals,Energy,and Water Resources since 2007.
General and local elections were held in Botswana on 24 October 2014. The result was an eleventh straight victory for the Botswana Democratic Party,which won 37 of the 57 elected seats. Incumbent President Ian Khama was sworn in for a second term on 28 October.
Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi is a Motswana politician and former President of Botswana,who served between 1 April 2018 to 1 November 2024. 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 Keitumetse Theresa Kokorwe is a Botswana politician who was the Speaker of the National Assembly from 2014 to 2019. She is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).
Bogolo Joy Kenewendo is a Motswana economist and politician. She is the former Cabinet Minister of Investment,Trade and Industry of Botswana. Kenewendo was dropped from cabinet in November 2019. Since then,she serves as the Managing Director of Kenewendo Advisory,based in Gaborone,Botswana. She leads Molaya Kgosi Women Leadership and Mentorship Program and the Board Chair of Molaya Kgosi Trust.
General elections were held in Botswana on 23 October 2019 to elect MPs and local government councillors. Despite a high profile split in the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in May 2019 when former President Ian Khama left the party and switched his support to the new Botswana Patriotic Front,the BDP's vote share increased to almost 53% as the party won 38 of the 57 elected seats in the National Assembly,a gain of one compared to the 2014 elections. The elections were the twelfth and the last straight victory for the BDP.
Botswana held a general election in October 2019. Though it was more competitive than previous elections,it resulted in a victory for the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and won an addition term for President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Botswana saw an escalation in the rivalry between Masisi and his predecessor Ian Khama,with Khama leaving the Botswana Democratic Party to support the Botswana Patriotic Front and the Umbrella for Democratic Change. Following the BDP's victory,opposition leaders challenged the results of the election.
The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) is a populist political party in Botswana formed in July 2019 by members of the Botswana Democratic Party who split from the party because of a high-profile rivalry between former presidents Ian Khama and Mokgweetsi Masisi.
Dikgang Phillip Makgalemele is a Motswana politician who formerly served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament as well as the Parliament of Botswana,representing Shoshong. He additionally served as the Minister of Youth Empowerment,Sport and Culture Development under President Mokgweetsi Masisi. He is a member of the Botswana Democratic Party.
Machana Ronald Shamukuni is a Botswana politician that has served as the Minister of Justice since the department's creation in 2022. He is a member of the National Assembly for the constituency of Chobe.
General elections were held in Botswana on 30 October 2024 to determine the composition of the 13th Parliament of Botswana as well as local councils across the country. Up for election were 61 seats of the National Assembly as well as 609 local council seats,all elected through the first-past-the-post voting system.
Events in the year 2023 in Botswana.
A by-election for the Botswana parliamentary constituency of Serowe West was held on 8 July 2023. The vacancy was caused by the expulsion on 21 April 2023 of the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP),Tshekedi Khama of the BPF,following his absence from the minimum required two consecutive meetings of the same session to trigger a by-election per the Standing Orders of the National Assembly.
Events in the year 2024 in Botswana.
Serowe North is a constituency in the Central District represented by Baratiwa Mathoothe,a BPF MP in the National Assembly of Botswana since 2019.
