By Wardah Wilkinson, NNA News | Johannesburg, South Africa

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has paid tribute to Festus Gontebanye Mogae, calling Botswana’s late leader a “selfless, brave and principled” statesman whose death is a loss for Africa. 

In a letter dated May 13 and released on Friday by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Mbeki and his wife, Zanele, said they received news of Mogae’s death “with great sadness”. The letter was sent to Mogae’s widow, Mma Barbara Nametso Mogae, in Gaborone.

“It was with great sadness that we received the news that your dear husband, our esteemed colleague and friend, President Festus Mogae, had passed away,” Mbekis wrote. 

He added that Mogae’s passing had robbed “Botswana, South Africa, and Africa of an unassuming but selfless, brave and principled leader”.

  His Excellency Festus Gontebanye Mogae, the third President of the Republic of Botswana. Photo Credit: Botswana Government

Mbeki also praised Mogae’s contribution to Botswana’s development, first as a civil servant and later as president. He recalled Mogae’s and Botswana’s roles during the anti-apartheid struggle, stressing that Botswana, South Africa’s neighbouring country, had played “a wise, courageous and delicate role” in supporting South Africa’s liberation.

The two leaders were presidents at the same time from 1999 to 2008, working closely within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). During that period, Botswana was regarded as one of the region’s most stable democracies, and Mogae was respected for his calm, technocratic approach to governance.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa also paid tribute on Monday, saying South Africa shared Botswana’s grief. He described Mogae as “a great leader of the Republic of Botswana and SADC”, adding that the two countries had lost “a dear neighbour and friend who shared our values of democracy, good governance and fraternal partnership”.

The South African presidency issued a statement on Friday confirming that Deputy President Paul Mashatile would attend Mogae’s state funeral on Saturday at the University of Botswana in Gaborone on behalf of President Ramaphosa.

Mogae was Botswana’s third president and served from 1998 to 2008. He stepped down after two terms, handing power to his Vice President Ian Khama in a peaceful transition that reinforced Botswana’s reputation for political stability.

Former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, Photo Credit: DIRCO

An economist by training, Mogae was credited with managing the diamond-dependent economy prudently and for speaking openly about HIV/AIDS at a time when Botswana had one of the world’s highest infection rates.

The Botswana government declared three days of national mourning after Mogae died last week at the age of 86.