07/04/2026
BOTSWANA’S FORMER PRESIDENT Festus Gontebanye Mogae HOSPITALISED
Botswana’s former President, Festus Gontebanye Mogae, has been hospitalised at the age of 86.
His hospitalisation was announced today through a press statement issued by the Office of the President in Gaborone.
“The Office of the President informs members of the public that His Excellency Festus Mogae, Former President of the Republic of Botswana, is unwell and is currently receiving medical care at a hospital in Gaborone.”
The statement further confirmed that the former head of state is in a stable condition and called on the nation to keep him in their prayers.
Mogae served as Botswana’s third president from 1998 to 2008. His tenure is widely regarded as one of discipline, reform, and democratic maturity. He earned respect across Africa and beyond for his decision to step down at the end of his constitutional term, resisting the trend by some leaders on the continent to extend their rule.
His leadership was internationally recognised by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who awarded him the Grand Cross of the Légion d'honneur for his “exemplary leadership” in making Botswana a model of democracy and good governance.
During his presidency, Mogae led Botswana through one of its most challenging periods—the HIV/AIDS crisis—where he took bold steps to confront the epidemic and expand access to treatment. He also oversaw economic and social reforms that contributed to reduced unemployment, modernization of small towns, and the regularisation of informal settlements into structured urban communities.
