CAPETOWN - President Advocate Duma Boko arriving in South Africa to attend the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). …
… According to a press release from the Office of the President, President Advocate Duma Boko departed Gaborone yesterday to attend the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa from …
President Advocate Duma Boko (left) and Bank of Botswana Governor, Mr Lesego Moseki during the handing of the annual Bank’s 2025 Annual Report during economic briefing to cabinet in Gaborone on Monday. …
… Despite such concerns, President Boko dismissed suggestions that the arrangement was unusual, labelling it a non-issue, and arguing that Botswana merely extended assistance to a neighbouring country facing temporary travel constraints. …
… Headlined by the presence of President Advocate Duma Boko and First Lady Kaone, the camaraderie, massive turnouts and emotional moments on the pitch have left a lasting impact on players and fans alike who braved the day’s chill and rain as temperatures plummeted into lower digit …
… The remarks were made by President Advocate Duma Boko during the inaugural opening ceremony of the Botswana-Lesotho Bi- National Commission in Gaborone on June 18. …
The successful implementation of the proposed Lesotho-South Africa-Botswana (LESABO) water transfer project will strengthen Botswana’s long-term water security, support industrial development and enhance regional integration, President Advocate Duma Boko has said. …
… President Advocate Duma Boko and Lesotho Prime Minister, Mr Samuel Matekane said enduring diplomatic relations anchored on shared history, cultural heritage, linguistic affinities will be translated to deepening cooperation. …
President Advocate Duma Boko has called for urgent political, financial and technical support to contain the Ebola outbreak currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. …
The Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs confirmed that payouts of P300 per month under the child grant support scheme are scheduled to begin.
Why it matters
Child grant payments beginning at P300 monthly directly affect thousands of vulnerable Batswana families and represent a major social support milestone.
The Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs confirmed that payouts of P300 per month under the child grant support scheme are scheduled to begin.
President Advocate Duma Boko is attending the 9th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Customs Union in Cape Town from Wednesday to Friday, where leaders of the five SACU member states are deliberating on measures to deepen economic integration, enhance intra-regional trade and strengthen industrial development.
The Bank of Botswana Governor presented the bank's 2025 Annual Report during an economic briefing to cabinet in Gaborone, detailing performance outcomes, mandate, and future economic outlook while emphasizing public education in driving economic understanding.
The use of Botswana's presidential aircraft OK1 to transport Lesotho's Prime Minister has drawn criticism amid government spending concerns. President Boko described it as normal regional assistance, but opposition leader Dumelang Saleshando characterized the deployment as abuse of state resources given the country's fiscal strain.
Orlando Pirates were crowned champions at the Clash of Legends event held at the National Stadium on Saturday, which featured rival teams and was attended by President Duma Boko and First Lady Kaone. The event aimed to raise funds and awareness for retired players facing difficult circumstances in their post-football lives.
Botswana is pursuing a proposed water transfer project with Lesotho involving construction of Magaleng Dam to supply water over approximately 700km, with plans to build a five-megawatt hydro power station to address water scarcity and energy needs. President Advocate Duma Boko announced the initiative during the inaugural Botswana-Lesotho Bi-National Commission ceremony, alongside a donation of 100,000 doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine to Lesotho.
President Advocate Duma Boko said the proposed Lesotho-South Africa-Botswana water transfer project would strengthen Botswana's long-term water security, support industrial development, and enhance regional integration. Boko highlighted the project as an opportunity to address water scarcity and support sustainable solutions while deepening cooperation between the two nations across energy, trade, agriculture, and other sectors.
The heads of government of Botswana and Lesotho concluded the inaugural Botswana-Lesotho Bi-National Commission in Gaborone on June 19, identifying trade and investment, energy, water, agriculture and livestock, tourism, sport, culture and creative industries as key sectors for collaboration based on shared history and cultural ties.
President Advocate Duma Boko called for urgent political, financial and technical support to contain the Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, emphasizing that infectious diseases transcend borders and require collective action. Speaking at a June 16 virtual meeting, Boko stressed the importance of regional cooperation, protecting frontline health workers, and enhanced cross-border surveillance to respond to the outbreak, which has a joint preparedness and response plan valued at US$518 million.
De Beers reports increased US consumer spending on natural diamonds, raising hopes for a P7 billion Diamonds for Development Fund created under a recent government partnership. The positive outlook arrives as Botswana's economy has been strained by weak diamond sales over the past two years.
Botswana and Lesotho have upgraded their cooperation framework from the Joint Commission on Technical and Economic Cooperation to a fully-fledged Bi-National Commission (BNC), with the inaugural session scheduled for June 17-18. The upgrade, formalized by an agreement signed in Maseru in July 2025, aims to deepen economic cooperation, policy coordination, and regional integration between the two nations.
President Duma Boko has hailed the government's two-decade partnership with the Robert and Sara Rothschild Family Foundation, which focuses on building rural libraries and boosting healthcare, as a blueprint for public-private alliances that enrich local communities and support his administration's vision of a digitally literate society.
President Advocate Duma Boko has underscored the critical role of free and fair elections in sustaining democracy, peace and stability across SADC, praising the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC for strengthening election management bodies throughout the region. The ECF-SADC Chairperson noted that Botswana remains a beacon of peace, good governance and democracy following its 2024 transition of power.
President Duma Boko has retained Canadian lobbying firm Dickens & Madson, which supported his election campaign, according to a US Department of Justice filing.
Self-exiled Bakgatla Paramount Chief Kgosi Kgafela II has requested appointment as Botswana's envoy to South Africa while seeking recognition as a king under Botswana law, with immunities similar to those of presidents and monarchs.
An official opening the Serowe full council meeting urged district councils to reduce reliance on central government grants by establishing independent commercial entities and exploring alternative Local Economic Development projects, citing declining diamond revenues and shrinking government coffers.
President Duma Boko congratulated the Botswana Harvard Health Partnership for their significant role in breakthrough HIV prevention research and the discovery of the Omicron COVID variant in 2021. The partnership's executive director noted their contributions to Botswana's public health milestones and their participation in landmark studies that shaped local and international HIV treatment and prevention guidelines.
President Duma Boko presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Botswana World Trade Centre, a multi-billion Pula project designed to reduce diamond export dependence and establish the country as a regional trade and investment hub through services, tourism, and digital innovation.
President Duma Boko hailed Botswana and Belgium's long-standing partnership during a farewell meeting with outgoing Belgian Ambassador Paul Jansen, highlighting cooperation in the diamond industry, agriculture, and educational exchanges between the two countries. Boko commended Belgium's support for local diamond value addition and noted the twinning arrangement between Francistown and Genk.
President Duma Boko has issued a stern warning to members of the Botswana Defence Force against gender-based violence and femicide, cautioning that acts of violence stain the army's image and undermine it.
Musician and attorney Nchunga Nchunga has released "Re tla mo gopola" (We will remember him), a tribute single to the late former president Dr Festus Mogae, recorded in Setswana, Herero, Ndebele, English and Sesubiya. Nchunga said he composed the song to celebrate Mogae's legacy, particularly his leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and released it before the burial so Batswana could enjoy it as they celebrated the former president's life.
President Advocate Duma Boko has hailed long-standing relations between Botswana and Belgium, describing the partnership as instrumental in the growth of Botswana's diamond industry and broader development efforts. The two countries have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations since 1975, with cooperation particularly evident in the diamond sector through the Antwerp diamond industry.
A parliamentary member and Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship says his conviction that politics must serve to improve people's lives—especially young people, entrepreneurs, and ordinary communities—was shaped by university experience and civil society work. His background in business consulting has reinforced his belief that government should make it easier for citizens to start and grow businesses.
President Duma Boko has called for zero tolerance on gender-based violence within the Botswana Defence Force, urging service members to exercise restraint, discipline and emotional maturity when handling personal conflicts. Speaking at the 21st BDF Strategic Conference, he stressed that emotional and social challenges must never escalate to violence, particularly against women and children, and reminded officers that their specialised training must never be turned against civilians.
President Advocate Duma Boko has called for a modernised, disciplined and ethically grounded Botswana Defence Force capable of responding to evolving security threats including technology, cyber threats, organised crime and non-state actors. He said a comprehensive national security strategy is being developed to strengthen coordination and resilience.
President Advocate Duma Boko has called on the private sector to help safeguard the country's economy by driving job creation and diversifying industries away from over-reliance on mining, while urging businesses to treat the recent sovereign credit downgrade as a shared responsibility. In March 2026, S&P Global Ratings downgraded Botswana's long-term foreign and local currency ratings from BBB to BBB- and lowered short-term ratings, with a negative outlook maintained.
President Advocate Duma Boko has urged Ambassador-designate Dr Zein Kebonang to represent Botswana's interests and strengthen diplomatic and economic relations with Europe, particularly through the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and development of trade corridors.
The Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations has launched a campaign against the proposed Constitutional Court, arguing in campaign documents that while reforms are presented as efforts to strengthen constitutional democracy, they contain "serious risks" for ordinary citizens.
Mogae's State funeral this weekend revealed persistent internal tensions within the BDP, with speakers' remarks appearing to criticize how the party previously honored former president Sir Ketumile Masire. BDP member Tebelelo Seretse publicly thanked President Duma Boko for according Mogae a dignified funeral, noting the party still carries emotional scars from its turbulent final years in power.