Commander of the Defence Force (Botswana)

Commander of the Botswana Defence Force
Commander of the Botswana Defence Force
	Botswana Defence Force flag
	Incumbent; General Mpho Churchill Orebotse Mophuting; since 3 November 2025
Abbreviation	Commander, BDF
Reports to	Minister of Defence, Justice and Security
Appointer	The president
Formation	1977
First holder	Mompati Merafhe

AbbreviationCommander, BDF

Reports toMinister of Defence, Justice and Security

AppointerThe president

Formation1977

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.

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Ref.
No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
1		Lieutenant general Mompati Merafhe (1936–2015)	1977	1989	11–12 years
2		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		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	3 November 2025	9 years, 89 days	^[3]

Commander of the Defence Force (Botswana)

References

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Commander of the Botswana Defence Force
Botswana Defence Force flag
Incumbent General Mpho Churchill Orebotse Mophuting since 3 November 2025
Abbreviation	Commander, BDF
Reports to	Minister of Defence, Justice and Security
Appointer	The president
Formation	1977
First holder	Mompati Merafhe