Mokgweetsi Masisi

President of Botswana from 2018 to 2024

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2024 Completed his term as President of Botswana.
November 1 2024 Masisi conceded defeat in the general elections after the Botswana Democratic Party lost its majority in the National Assembly for the first time in the country's history, and promised a peaceful transfer of power to Duma Boko.
January 3 2022 Masisi tested positive for COVID-19 during routine testing and went into mandatory self-isolation, with Vice-President Slumber Tsogwane assuming presidential responsibilities.
September 2021 Masisi ended the State of Public Emergency, relinquishing his rule by decree and terminating the existing curfews.
December 24 2020 Botswana enforced a curfew after discovering a new COVID-19 strain, which remained in effect until 3 January 2021.
March 2020 Began ruling by decree in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that lasted until September 2021, despite public and opposition protests.
March 31 2020 President Masisi declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, granting himself emergency powers to rule by decree for 18 months until September 2021.
2019 Masisi presented stools made from elephant feet to national leaders of Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which sparked international media criticism. He also reversed the ban on elephant hunting and removed the 'Shoot to Kill' anti-poaching policy.
2019 Proposed lifting the ban on elephant hunting and publicly supported decriminalizing homosexuality, speaking out in favor of a court order when the Attorney General appealed the decriminalization.
2019 Won the national elections, which the opposition claimed had irregularities, but the African Union observation mission reported transparent and standards-compliant elections.
October 2019 Masisi was re-elected president in the Botswana general election, winning 52.65% of the vote and a majority of seats in the National Assembly, despite facing significant challenges from former president Ian Khama who had moved to the opposition.
October 13 2018 Masisi received an honorary doctorate from the University of Botswana, though some commentators criticized the process by which the doctorate was awarded.
September 22 2018 While visiting the United Nations in New York, Masisi and his family attended the Rutgers vs. Buffalo American football game at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
April 1 2018 Became the fifth President of Botswana, succeeding Ian Khama.
November 12 2014 Appointed as the eighth Vice President of Botswana.

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