03 Nov 2025

The newly appointed Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Commander, General Mpho Mophuting has outlined five pillars, which will anchor the institution as a modern, accountable and people-centred institution.

Speaking at the Change of Command Ceremony at the Sir Seretse Khama Barracks in Mogoditshane yesterday, General Mophuting, said the five pillars, which would define his command ethos, were leadership, modernisation, justice, doctrine and frugality.

General Mophuting, now the seventh BDF Commander since the institution’s establishment in 1977 and previously served as Botswana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, also outlined five strategic priorities aligned with national aspirations and the evolving nature of warfare to guide his tenure.

The priorities, he said included strengthening command structures and leadership relations, modernising and expanding defence capabilities, reforming and implementing the Military Justice System, developing a coherent strategy and doctrine supported by clear policies and controlling escalating operational costs.

General Mophuting, who takes from Lt Gen. Placid Segokgo who retires from active service on November 6, following a career spanning over 42 years, further described his appointment not as a mere administrative transition but as the manifestation of destiny itself, a solemn summons to service once more at a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey, where demands of duty intertwine with the imperatives of national rebirth.

General Mophuting also thanked President Advocate Duma Boko, who attended the ceremony alongside Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe, for the confidence he had placed in him.

He applauded the President’s visionary leadership, evidenced by the historic decision to elevate the Commander’s office to a four-star general rank, signalling commitment to institutional growth, modernisation and international alignment.

“You have entrusted me with the leadership of our nation’s most formidable instrument of national power,” he said.

He also paid tribute to former BDF Commanders whose guidance and dedication had shaped the institution’s proud legacy, noting that the ‘solemn burden’ of leadership now rested on his shoulders.

Lt Gen. Segokgo congratulated General Mophuting and expressed confidence that the BDF would achieve even greater accomplishments under his stewardship.

He further thanked the men and women in uniform for their support throughout his tenure saying he was leaving the institution in capable hands. ENDS