Festus Mogae

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President of Botswana
Festus Gontebanye Mogae
Festus Mogae (left) with former US Secretary of State Colin Powell
In office 01 April 1998 – 01 April 2008
Vice President	Ian Khama
Preceded by	Quett Masire
Succeeded by	Ian Khama

Born	21 August 1939 (1939-08-21) (age 68) Serowe, Botswana
Political party	BDP
Spouse	Barbara Mogae
Children	Chedza Mogae Nametso Mogae

Festus Gontebanye Mogae (born 21 August 1939) was President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008. He succeeded Quett Masire as President in 1998, and was reelected in October 2004; in 2008 he stepped down and was succeeded by Ian Khama. He is a native Setswana language speaker, of the Bamangwato people.

Mogae studied economics in the United Kingdom, first at the University of Sussex and then at the University College, Oxford. He returned to Botswana to work as a civil servant before taking up posts with the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of Botswana. He was Vice-President of Botswana from 1992 to 1998.

Mogae's party, the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), retained power in the October 1999 general election, and Mogae was sworn in for a five-year term on October 20, 1999^[1]^[2] by Chief Justice Julian Nganunu at the National Stadium in Gaborone.^[2] On this occasion, he vowed to focus on the fight against poverty and unemployment.^[1]

Following the BDP's victory in the October 2004 general election, Mogae was sworn in for another term on November 2, 2004.^[3] Mogae promised to tackle poverty and unemployment, as well as the spread of HIV-Aids, which he pledged to stop in Botswana by 2016.^[4]

On July 14, 2007, Mogae affirmed his intention to resign nine months later.^[5]

Mogae was awarded the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on March 20, 2008 for his "exemplary leadership" in making Botswana a "model" of democracy and good governance.^[6] He stepped down as President on April 1, 2008 and was succeeded by Vice-President Ian Khama.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b "BOTSWANA: Mogae sworn in as president", IRIN, October 20, 1999.
^ ^a ^b "Botswana: Festus Mogae sworn in as president", Radio Botswana (nl.newsbank.com), October 20, 1999.
^ "Update: Festus Mogae sworn in as president of Botswana", Xinhua (nl.newsbank.com), November 2, 2004.
^ The Government of Botswana – Vision 2016
^ "Botswana's Mogae set to retire", AFP (IOL), July 15, 2007.
^ "Sarkozy décore le président du Botswana pour sa bonne gouvernance", AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), March 20, 2008 (French).

Political offices
Preceded by Peter Mmusi	Vice-President of Botswana 1992 – 1998	Succeeded by Ian Khama
Preceded by Quett Masire	President of Botswana 1998 – 2008	Succeeded by Ian Khama