Did TK push Solly?
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday January 25, 2019 12:00
Inside sources said the new Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tshekedi Khama had contacted Reikeletseng and asked him to reconsider a number of issues surrounding his position.
“The minister asked him to reflect on a number of issues, including the integrity of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, BNSC and himself,” the source said. This comes against a backdrop of Reikeletseng’s personal challenges, where his medical aid provider, Itekanele Health Scheme was shutdown due to non-compliance, while his music promotion company, Medumo En tertainment was recently in the news for failure to settle a P15,000 accommodation bill in Maun. Khama confirmed that he met Reikeletseng on Wednesday, hours before the former BNSC chief tendered his resignation. “I told him to introspect on a number of issues affecting him. Then in the morning (yesterday), he brought the resignation letter. There was nothing I could do, but wish him well for the future,” Khama told Mmegi Sport yesterday.
Reikeletseng said he had resigned on his own volition. “I met the minister yesterday morning and I handed in my resignation letter and he accepted it. It was a cordial meeting. I was not pushed out of BNSC,” he said. Reikeletseng’s tenure was supposed to end in July, but now Professor Martin Mokgwathi, a deputy chancellor-students affairs at the University of Botswana, is tipped to take over. Mokgwathi is a BNSC board member.
Minister Khama met the BNSC board yesterday, but the Commission’s chief executive officer, Falcon Sedimo said Reikeletseng’s resignation was not discussed.
“Even at the office we have not received formal communication from Reikeletseng regarding his resignation as we speak,” he said.
Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho said Reikeletseng’s resignation had come as a surprise.
“With him having applied his mind, I have no option but to accept his decision,” he said. Serufho said he has known Reikeletseng for many years, from the days when they were both active athletes. “Over the years, Reikeletseng displayed unparalleled levels of passion and love for sport. His appointment as BNSC chairman several years ago, therefore came as no surprise,” he said.
Reikeletseng has been at the helm of BNSC for eight years. Reikeletseng said he arrived at the decision because of the love he has for sport. “This is a conscious decision arrived at because of the love I have for sport and I would not allow any of my personal and business arrangements to affect the work that has been done by men and women of this country for more than five decades,” he said.
Reikeletseng said the decision would give him time to deal with some unfortunate incidents from his business interests with a view to conclude the matters with his stakeholders amicably.
“Batswana deserve better. They deserve leadership that is accountable for its actions, leadership that is willing to sacrifice itself for the love of their country or for the love of the industry they lead.
“In my execution of national duty, there are many that I have wronged, hurt and pained. I open my heart and arms to you and ask for forgiveness. The nature of my wrongdoing was never personal but simply a means to facilitate a national agenda,” he said.