Commander of the Defence Force (Botswana)

Commander of the Botswana Defence Force
File:Flag of the Botswana Defence Force.svg Botswana Defence Force flag
File:Placid Diratsagae Segokgo 121031-F-ZI558-021 (cropped).jpg Incumbent General Mpho Churchill Orebotse Mophuting since 3 November 2025
Abbreviation	Commander, BDF
Reports to	Minister of Defence, Justice and Security
Appointer	The president
Formation	1977
First holder	Mompati Merafhe

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.

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	File:Mr Sebogodi Mompati Merafhe, Major general of the national defence forc (Source Kutlwano 1977).jpg	Lieutenant general Mompati Merafhe (1936–2015)	1977	1989	11–12 years
2	File:Ian Khama (2014) (cropped).jpg	Lieutenant general Ian Khama (born 1953)	1989	1998	8–9 years
3	File:No image.png	Lieutenant general Louis Matshwenyego Fisher	1998	1 November 2006	7–8 years
4	File:No image.png	Lieutenant general Tebogo Masire	1 November 2006	1 August 2012	5 years, 274 days
5	File:Gaolatlhe Galebotswe (7691737692) (cropped).jpg	Lieutenant general Gaolatlhe Galebotswe	1 August 2012	8 September 2016	4 years, 38 days
6	File:Placid Diratsagae Segokgo 121031-F-ZI558-021 (cropped).jpg	Lieutenant general Placid Diratsagae Segokgo	8 September 2016	3 November 2025	9 years, 228 days