The only significant change was the dissolution of the Department of Sport and Recreation, which was a stand-alone body, but was redirected to operate under the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture. Other than that change, the BNSC and the BNOC have continued with their parallel operations, often times leading to the duplication of roles. In a recent interview with sister publication, Mmegi, former university of Botswana lecturer, Professor Tshepang Tshube, said rather than merge, the BNSC should be dissolved. There is convergence in that the two sport bodies criss-cross at various points, which gives rise to either the dissolution of the other or a merger. I would advocate for a merger where BNSC and BNOC come under one roof with operations streamlined.
Tshube's concerns is that the BNSC is bleeding the government coffers and the same argument applies to the BNOC. The BNOC's edge is that it is already an affiliate of international bodies like the International Olympic Committee. The two can exist within each other under an umbrella body where the BNSC's main role will be to focus on the funding and operations of the various sport codes. The BNOC will bring its strength of being a body that organises and prepares athletes for international competitions. The new name is immaterial as long as the operations have been streamlined and the two operate as one.
The new sport minister should make this one of his or her top priorities. Four years ago, it seemed that the merger would come to pass following recommendations of a task force team formed in 2011. The task team had former BNSC chief executive officer, Kitso Kemoeng, director of Sport and Recreation, Falcon Sedimo and then BNOC chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho. The team recommended that the two bodies should merge and all three sport ministers since then, Shaw Kgathi, Thapelo Olopeng and Tumiso Rakgare, had shown enthusiasm on the project. But nothing came out of it and it is now up the new minister who will take over the baton from Rakgare. It will be a major milestone that will better serve Botswana sport and ensure smooth running of affairs.
It will mark the end of turf wars between the two bodies where in some instance, role clarity is blurred. What is disheartening is that the merger has taken forever despite the clear recommendations carried in a 2011 report. It is baffling as to why implementation has not been effected after more than 12 years since the task team made the recommendation. Let the new minister make this one of his/her top agenda items and move with haste to have an amalgamated sport body before the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
