Tshube was previously with the UB's Department of Sport and Exercise Psychology before moving to the US. “If you look at the BNSC staff budget/wage bill if you like, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) wage bill is lower. Then you look at the amount of money the BNSC spends on utilities and stadiums and all other things. You also take the amount of money the BNOC spends on rent, utilities amongst other things, to be honest, that is bleeding the government,” he said.
Tshube said the two organisations are failing to optimise the use of resources if they function parallel as they do. “If you go and look at the BNSC strategic goals, they talk about winning medals at the Olympic Games. If you go to BNOC strategic goals, they talk about the same thing. If you look at the Sport Act, in its description of the BNSC, it talks about elite sport. If you look at the BNOC documents, it is the same thing. In my view it is time and has been time for a long time to merge the two organisations,” he said. Tshube suggested that the technical and programmes departments from the BNSC should move to the BNOC and the organisation should be resourced to meet the mandate of elite sport.
“Then BNSC can focus on recreational sport and we can have one organisation where we ask questions about winning major championships in elite sport. When we talk about the elite, it is the level of performance such as the Youth Games, World Championships, and Olympic Games but let us leave the recreational sport to the BNSC. Then we can see what else they can do but as a small unit or be part of the government under the ministry (of sport),” he said. Regarding the delay in coming up with a new Sport Act, Tshube attributed this to the power play between the BNSC, the BNOC and the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture and who can influence the minister more. “We need a minister who can rise above those and look at each organisation independently and not be influenced by them, and make a discussion and say we need an Act that will hand the power of elite sport to the BNOC and resource it. (They must) make sure that the BNOC is accountable and let go of appointing the board. Let the International Olympic Committee Charter take over,” he said. Tshube stated for that to happen, there is a need for a strong minister to achieve that.
He said if the minister is still learning or idolises certain sport individuals, it would not work. He said the new minister must not be someone who will learn on the job. “The ministry should not be a training ground for leadership. The ministry is complex with young people who need to be supported. We need a mature leader, who is not coming to learn about leadership and that should be the type of leader who is not easily influenced by the personalities in Botswana sport. It should be someone who will make decisions informed by actual knowledge in leadership, not by persuasion,” Tshube said. Sport awaits the announcement of a new Cabinet to know who will replace Tumiso Rakgare as the minister.
