Festus Gontebanye Mogae (born 21 August 1939) is a Motswana politician and economist who served as the thirdPresident of Botswana from 1998 to 2008.[1] He succeededQuett Masire as President in 1998[2] and was re-elected in October 2004. After ten years in office, he stepped down in 2008 and was succeeded by Lieutenant GeneralSeretse Khama Ian Khama.[3]
Mogae's party, theBotswana Democratic Party (BDP), retained power in theOctober 1999 general election, and Mogae was sworn in for a five-year term on 20 October 1999[7][8] by Chief Justice Julian Nganunu at the National Stadium inGaborone.[8] On this occasion, he vowed to focus on the fight against poverty and unemployment.[7]
Following the BDP's victory in theOctober 2004 general election, Mogae was sworn in for another term on 2 November 2004.[9] Mogae promised to tackle poverty and unemployment, as well as the spread ofHIV-AIDS, which he pledged to stop in Botswana by 2016.[10]
On 14 July 2007, Mogae affirmed his intention to resign nine months later.[11] He stepped down as President on 1 April 2008 and was succeeded by Vice-President Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama.[3] He would have been required to leave office in 2008 in any event; a constitutional amendment passed in 1997 limited the president to a total of 10 years in office, whether successive or separated.
Mogae currently serves as Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General on Climate Change.[12] In 2010, he joined the advisory board of US nonprofitTeachAids.[13] He also currently serves as chairman of theChoppies supermarket group where he earned Pula 529,000 in 2011.[14]
In 2013, along with former PresidentBenjamin Mkapa ofTanzania, Mogae co-chaired a sustainable development symposium, hosted by the UONGOZI Institute in collaboration withClub de Madrid,[15][16] organisation of which Mkapa was also a member.
Mogae was awarded the Grand Cross of theLégion d'honneur by French PresidentNicolas Sarkozy on 20 March 2008 for his "exemplary leadership" in making Botswana a "model" of democracy andgood governance.[19]
Presidential Order of Honour of Botswana (1989)
Officier de I’Order Nationale D’e Cote d’Ivoire (1979)
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws – University of Botswana (September 1998)
I’Order Nationale du Mali and the HATAB's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Botswana's Tourism Industry (1997)
the Global Marketplace Award by the Corporate Council on Africa - Houston, USA (May 1999)
Honorary Fellowship of the Botswana Institute of Bankers – Gaborone, Botswana (July 1999)
Distinguished Achievement Award for AIDS Leadership in Southern Africa by the Medunsa Trust - Washington DC, USA (June 2000)
AIDS Leadership Award by Harvard AIDS Institute – Gaborone (December 2001)
2002 Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference Weekend Chairman's Award – Washington D.C., USA (September 2002)
Africa-America Institute National Leadership Award – New York, USA (September 2002)
Honorary Fellow – University College Oxford (2003)
The Knight Commander of the Most Courteous Order of the Kingdom of Lesotho – Maseru, Lesotho (April 2004)
The Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) International Leadership Award – Gaborone (October 2004)
The Golden Plate Award by the Academy of Achievement - New York, USA (June 2005)
The Pan African Tsetse and Tryponofomiasis (PATTEC) by the African Union – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (January 2007)
Doctorate of Humanity by the University of Limkokwing, Gaborone Botswana (January 2008)
The Commander of the Legion d’Honneur Grand Croix of the Republic of France – Paris, France (March 2008)
Taylor and Francis Award for significant contribution to women's development and welfare – Gaborone, Botswana (July 2008)
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Southern California[20]
Croix - Highest award in Madagascar granted to dignitaries of the Nation) Antananarivo, Madagascar (June 2006)[1]
Mogae won the 2008Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, and will receive US$5 million over 10 years and US$200,000 annually for life thereafter. At London's City Hall on 20 October 2008, former United NationsSecretary-GeneralKofi Annan stated: "President Mogae's outstanding leadership has ensured Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/AIDS pandemic which threatened the future of his country and people."[21][22]
In addition, he has received a number of honours such as the Naledi Ya Botswana order in 2003 and also[1] received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement in 2005.[23][24][25]