BOT50 justifies golden jubilee spending
Baboki Kayawe | Friday August 19, 2016 15:40
Event coordinator, Charity Kgotlafela said additional funding could still be sought towards the event, even though there are competing needs such as tertiary education funding and drought relief interventions because challenges will forever be, and people must live amidst them.
“We won’t stop living due to challenges, we combat them while we live. (The celebration of) 50 years (of independence) comes once in a lifetime so we can’t say let us not celebrate because we have challenges,” she said when giving the media an update on the independence celebrations.
The organising committee was allocated P100 million to use for the celebrations. Organisers say the amount has to be shared between districts and Botswana missions abroad. With 42 days left to the country’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations, the BOT50 organising team is facing budgetary shortfalls, though the organisers could not state the extra amount needed for its vibe activities.
Sources close to the preparations said the committee had hinted at plans to request for a budgetary boost from cabinet, to finance among others a number of events lined-up to stimulate morale for the main celebration.
“At this juncture I cannot commit to say we will go or won’t go to cabinet for additional funding,” she said.
Moreover, she could not tell whether or not their financial standing would push them to request for supplementary funds.
Despite saying they would see how best to utilise over P5 million that was awarded to about 30 companies in the service of branding and merchandising, who failed to deliver, the organisers are now turning to the private sector. “We call on the private sector, civil society and communities to contribute financially or in kind to augment the budget that has been provided for the celebrations,” she appealed.
Meanwhile, Kgotlafela has denied any talent import for the opening ceremony choreography. She said all tenders have been awarded locally as the intention is to spend the money locally, and BOT50 had no say concerning whom the tendering companies engage. Reports that South African celebrity choreographer, singer, actor Somizi Mhlongo, was engaged to train dancers caused social media uproar this week.
However, BOT50 has distanced itself from the Idols SA judge saying Red Pepper Company (local company awarded the tender) had engaged him.
On whether lack of a clause that informs those awarded tenders that the BOT50 committee promotes spending within the local economy, save for products and services not available here does not defeat the purpose of nurturing local businesses and talents, Kgotlafela opined that it did not.
“No. It does not defeat that purpose. We decided to award locals and they can be supplied by whoever they want. What we are concerned with is that they must deliver,” she explained on the sidelines of the media brief.