The Commander of the Botswana Defence Force is the highest-ranking military officer in the Botswana Defence Force and is responsible for maintaining control over the service branches.
| Commander of the Botswana Defence Force | |
|---|---|
 Botswana Defence Force flag | |
.jpg) | |
| Abbreviation | Commander, BDF |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence, Justice and Security |
| Appointer | the President |
| Formation | 1977 |
| First holder | Mompati Merafhe |
List of officeholders
editThe former heads of the Botswana Armed Forces were referred to while in office as either General Officers Commanding or Commander of the Botswana Defence Force.
| No. | Portrait | Name (birth–death) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | .jpg)
|
Lieutenant general Mompati Merafhe (1936–2015) |
1977 | 1989 | 11–12 years | |
| 2 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Lieutenant general Ian Khama (born 1953) |
1989 | 1998 | 8–9 years | |
| 3 | 
|
Lieutenant general Louis Matshwenyego Fisher |
1998 | 1 November 2006 | 7–8 years | [1] |
| 4 |
|
Lieutenant general Tebogo Masire |
1 November 2006 | 1 August 2012 | 5 years, 274 days | [1][2] |
| 5 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Lieutenant general Gaolatlhe Galebotswe |
1 August 2012 | 8 September 2016 | 4 years, 38 days | [2][3] |
| 6 |
|
Lieutenant general Placid Diratsagae Segokgo |
8 September 2016 | Incumbent | 8 years, 74 days | [3] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Masire appointed BDF commander". mmegi.bw. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 6 November 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
- ^ a b Online editor (9 July 2012). "Galebotswe appointed BDF Commander". sundaystandard.info. Sunday Standard Botswana. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
{{cite news}}:|author1=has generic name (help) - ^ a b Bagwasi, Thabo (12 September 2016). "Incoming BDF Commander could leave in two years". weekendpost.co.bw. Weekend Post. Retrieved 24 August 2021.