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Botswana

Republic of Botswana

Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common lawParliamentary republicReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Gaborone
Population
2,680,000
Languages
English, Setswana
Currency
BWP

Botswana · Government

Government and administration in Botswana

How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.

The three branches

Head of state — President
Elected by the National Assembly, not directly; limited to two five-year terms.
Executive — Cabinet
Appointed by the President from the National Assembly and accountable to it.
Legislature — National Assembly
Unicameral, with the Ntlo ya Dikgosi as an advisory body on customary matters.
Judiciary — Judicial Service Commission
Advises on judicial appointments; judges have security of tenure.

How legislation is made

Bills are introduced in the National Assembly, take three readings with committee scrutiny between the second and third, and go to the President for assent. Bills affecting customary law, tribal property or the organisation of the tribes must first be referred to the Ntlo ya Dikgosi for its opinion, though that opinion does not bind the Assembly.

Enforcement institutions

Directorate of Public Prosecutions
Independent prosecuting authority.
Botswana Police Service
Principal investigative and public-order agency.
Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime
Specialist anti-corruption investigator with its own powers of arrest.

Government bodies and regulators

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