Initially, their tenure expired in December but was extended by a further three months, but that has also lapsed. According to information reaching MmegiSport, there has not been any word from the appointing authority, the Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare.
During the December BNSC Annual General Meeting (AGM), National Sport Associations (NSA) voted for their board representatives, Katlholo Mosimanegape from softball and Ntebo Maplanka from fencing.
The two names were submitted to the minister for vetting. Outgoing NSAs representative, Dr Khaulani Fichani told MmegiSport that there is no word on when the new board would be appointed. “Our term has ended so at the moment we are operating in a vacuum. I have no idea what is happening,” he said. Efforts to contact Rakgare who was in New York this week, proved futile.
Meanwhile, the BNSC is accused of wrong priorities after sending an 'enlarged' delegation comprising mostly officials to the African Games in Ghana. The Botswana Volleyball Federation (BVF) president, Tsoseletso Magang said as people who run sport, they spend time preparing teams for competitions on a shoestring budget. “We are always told there is no money. We put our little resources into this, at times foregoing some of our mandates.
Then when the same teams travel for competitions, like the ongoing African Games, suddenly there is money for BNSC and Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) officials and their secretaries even, to travel business class to the games,” Magang said. She added the staff is at the games backing athletes that they never support at home.
“This according to me happens because there is no accountability.
So far no one has committed to the number of medals we are expecting from these games, and it would be interesting because these athletes were given zero support to prepare for the games,” said Magang. She further added that the BNSC should not sabotage volleyball because of her comments.
But a BNSC official, who preferred anonymity said Magang was the BNSC board vice chairperson in 2019 and wondered why she did not bring up the issue. “Our sport leaders at times push their own personal narratives hiding behind national interest. Why is she bringing up the issue now? Was it not happening then,” the official wondered. However, the source said Magang was right to raise the issue. Responding to the criticism, Magang advised the official to revisit all previous board minutes of when she was on the BNSC board.
The Botswana Boxing Association president, Gilbert Khuwane, said the issue of how BNSC allocates funding should be discussed in the next BNSC and BNOC Annual General Meetings. “That is where and when as affiliates we should show our worth to the two bodies,” he said. Contacted for comment, BNSC communications manager, Anderson Nlisana said he could not comment on the issues raised by Magang.
