Commander of the Defence Force (Botswana)

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
Incumbent Lieutenant general Placid Diratsagae Segokgo since 8 September 2016
Abbreviation	Commander, BDF
Reports to	Minister of Defence, Justice and Security
Appointer	the President
Formation	1977
First holder	Mompati Merafhe

List of officeholders

The 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		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	Incumbent	8 years, 223 days	[3]