Mokgweetsi Masisi

Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi (; born 21 July 1961) is a Motswana politician who served as the fifth president of Botswana from 2018 to 2024. He served as the eighth 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.

Initially having a good relationship with former President Ian Khama, who appointed Masisi as vice president, the two later clashed over a ban on elephant hunting, and Khama accused Masisi of having "stifled dissent". Coming to power in the 2019 elections, the opposition claimed irregularities and electoral fraud. However, an observation mission from the African Union reported that the elections were conducted transparently and met international standards.

His government oversaw the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the pandemic, Masisi ruled by decree from March 2020 to September 2021, despite protests from the public and opposition parties.

Early life and education Mokgweetsi Masisi is the son of Edison Masisi (1921–2003), the long-time MP for Moshupa and long-time cabinet member. The younger Masisi grew up in Gaborone, attending Thornhill Primary School and Maru-a-Pula School. He has taken part in several South African films. Masisi had become aware of the FSU program after meeting faculty members working in Botswana for the Junior Secondary Education Improvement Project. Following graduation, he was employed by UNICEF in Botswana. In 1999, he obtained a postgraduate degree in Economics and Social Policy from the University of Manchester, where he was a Chevening scholar. However, he obtained the BDP nomination for the same seat prior to the 2009 general election and won the seat. He was re-elected to his seat in Parliament in October 2014, and was appointed Minister of Education and Skills Development on 28 October 2014.

President Khama appointed Masisi as the Chancellor of the University of Botswana on 5 July 2017. The appointment, which was in consonance with Section 7 of the University of Botswana Act of 2008, was for a period of five years. It followed the death of former President Quett Masire, who served as the Chancellor until he died on 22 June 2017.

President (2018–2024) On 1 April 2018, he was sworn in as the 5th President of Botswana. Khama criticized Masisi for lifting the ban on elephant hunting and called his decision to appoint Masisi as his successor a "mistake".

On 13 October 2018, Masisi received an honorary doctorate from the University of Botswana. Some commentators have criticized this decision, and claimed that the correct process was not followed.

Economic policy The Masisi government adopted and promoted market-oriented, liberal economic policies to diversify the economy away from its reliance on diamonds.

Under Masisi's administration, the country adopted austerity measures due to the dwindling supply of diamonds, Botswana's main export, a 45 percent youth unemployment rate, and what opposition politicians criticized as the country's first budget deficit in 40 years.

2019 elections In October 2019, Masisi was re-elected president after the BDP faced the biggest threat to its unity in more than five decades, following Khama's move to the opposition, accusing Masisi of authoritarianism. In the 2019 Botswana general election, Masisi received a 52.65% majority of the vote and received a majority of seats in the National Assembly. The 2019 Botswana elections were hotly contested, and the main opposition, the Umbrella for Democratic Change lodged a litany of court challenges alleging irregularities and electoral fraud. The High Court ruled against the allegations and the elections were deemed credible by international observers. The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) concluded that the elections were transparent and conducted peacefully. The election conformed to international and regional best practices and standards.

Amongst his election pledges, he proposed lifting the ban on elephant hunting and decriminalising homosexuality. When Botswana's Attorney General appealed a court decision decriminalising homosexuality later that year, Masisi (then president) spoke out in favour of the court order.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–22) In early 2020, COVID-19 pandemic in Botswana occurred during Masisi's time in office. The President responded to the pandemic by declaring a state of emergency on 31 March 2020. After the declaration, emergency powers allowed Masisi to rule by decree for a period of 18 months to September 2021, despite protests from some opposition parties. In December, Botswana found evidence of a new strain, leading to a curfew being enforced from 24 December 2020 to 3 January 2021. After nearly two years of the State of Public Emergency and threats of protests from the public and opposition parties, Masisi announced he would not renew the State of Public Emergency, which saw him rule by decree for this period, also bringing an end to the curfews that had been in place by the end of September 2021.

Masisi has been accused by some opponents of having authoritarian views, and contributing to undermining democracy in Botswana. Former President Ian Khama, who has fallen out with Masisi since his election, alleged that Masisi "stifled dissent" in an interview with the Financial Times, and added that Botswana's reputation was being undermined locally and internationally, and that democracy was in decline.

On 3 January 2022, it was announced that Masisi was in mandatory self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 during routine testing. Vice-President Slumber Tsogwane assumed the president's responsibilities while he was in isolation.

2024 elections At the 2024 general elections, the Botswana Democratic Party lost its majority in the National Assembly for the first time in the country's history. Masisi conceded defeat on November 1, and promised a peaceful transfer of power. He was succeeded as president by Duma Boko.

Political opinions Masisi proposed lifting the ban on elephant hunting and decriminalising homosexuality. Masisi reversed the ban on elephant hunting put in place by his predecessor and removed Botswana's "Shoot to Kill" anti-poaching policy.

Personal life In 2002 Masisi married Neo Maswabi, an accountant who later worked for the United Nations in New York and in Addis Ababa. They have a daughter.