The Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), General Rudzani Maphwanya, is conducting a two-day official visit to Botswana aimed at strengthening bilateral military relations and enhancing defence cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
Earlier today, General Maphwanya paid a courtesy call on the Commander of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), General Mpho Churchill Mophuting. During their engagements, the military leadership evaluated key defence and security priorities, regional stability challenges and ongoing opportunities for defence diplomacy and strategic cooperation between the respective armed forces.
General Maphwanya’s itinerary includes an address to military scholars at the Defence Command and Staff College—Botswana’s premier military institution of higher learning—where he will share perspectives on modern defence, command leadership and regional security to support officer development.
Additionally, General Maphwanya is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Botswana’s Minister for State President, Defence and Security, the Honourable Moeti Mohwasa. His schedule includes an operational tour of Thebephatshwa Air Base for briefings on the strategic capabilities of the facility, followed by a briefing at the National Emergency Operations Centre regarding transboundary border security and joint mitigation efforts concerning Foot and Mouth Disease along the shared border.
The delegation will also conduct a physical assessment along key sections of the Botswana-South Africa international boundary to inspect collaborative border management operations firsthand. The official visit reinforces the long-standing defense alignment and joint commitment to regional security maintained by both Southern African Development Community (SADC) partners.
