The Speaker of the National Assembly is the presiding officer of the unicameral Parliament of Botswana. Since Botswana's independence from the United Kingdom in 1965, eight men and women have served as Speaker. The first, Alfred Merriweather, a Scottish missionary and physician, served from 1965 to 1968. The current Speaker, Dithapelo Keorapetse, has been speaker since 7 November 2024.
| Speaker of the National Assembly of Botswana | |
|---|---|
since 7 November 2024 | |
| National Assembly of Botswana | |
| Status | Presiding officer |
| Seat | National Assembly Building, Gaborone |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Botswana |
| Formation | 1965 |
| First holder | Alfred Merriweather 1965 |
| Deputy | Helen Manyeneng |
List of speakers
edit| Name | Office | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Merriweather OBE | 1965–1968 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Albert Frank Lock | 1968–1979 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| James G. Haskins OBE | 1979–1989 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Moutlakgola P. K. Nwako | 1989–1999 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Matlapeng Ray Molomo | 1999–2004 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Patrick Balopi | 2004–2009 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Margaret Nasha | 2009–2014 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Gladys Kokorwe | 2014–2019 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Phandu Skelemani | 2019–2024 | Botswana Democratic Party | |
| Dithapelo Keorapetse | 2024–present | Umbrella for Democratic Change | |
Sources
edit- Former Speakers of Parliament, Official website of the Parliament of Botswana