Fichani and another representative, Gift Nkwe of karate are completing their term this year with elections to find their successors to be held next month. Fichani told MmegiSport that the role of the two NSA representatives on the BNSC board needs more attention.
“You will recall that this is an issue that we tried to address when we got into the board. Even as we leave the board, I am certain that the expectations on the incoming representatives fail to recognise that as board members, these representatives will have collective responsibility for strategic decisions taken by the board,” he said.
Fichani said there is an impression that the role of representative of the sport associations is different within the board. "I believe the impression is given that if you are an NSA representative, then your role is different from that of other Board members, who if you look carefully would also include people with vast experience in NSA leadership," he said.
"So again the requirement for an NSA representative in the board is not really to guard against decisions that may not be popular with NSAs but to ensure that the Board has a deeper understanding or appreciation of the challenges that NSAs face. So this issue of attention may arise if the NSAs feel hard done by the board decisions, such as the recent funding model, which many NSAs felt unhappy about," Fichani added.
Fichani said the BNSC Board is transparent and communicates major strategic directions with NSAs. “So, in short, I do believe that we have provided a channel for NSA perspectives and experiences to be taken into account in coming up with strategies and ways of doing things for Botswana sport,” Fichani said.
He said serving on the Board since 2019 has been great. “One always hopes to have done more but I am happy with the achievements during our term,” he said. Six candidates are vying for the two positions on the BNSC Board with elections on the horizon.
Gosekwang Oaitse Thipe (tennis), Lame Mendy Ramokate (Special Olympics), Thulaganyo Retshabile (netball), Mmaneke Kelebogile Maplanka (fencing), Charmaine Koveya (squash), and Katlholo Mosimanegape (softball) are all eyeing the available slots to represent NSAs on the BNSC board. BNSC elections committee chairperson, Tumisang Hule, said NSA representatives would be elected during the BNSC Annual General Meeting (AGM) at a date and venue to be confirmed. “The vetting process was conducted and the names of the nominees were published last week. There is an elections committee that was appointed by the general assembly bestowed with the overall conduct of the elections from the beginning to the end,” Hule said.
The candidates told MmegiSport they are more than eager to make it to the BNSC board. "I can provide the Board with guidance on a lot of issues," Thipe said, while Retshabile said she has been approached to contest by some sport associations.
Koveya confirmed her candidature, while Ramokate indicated that she has been nominated by the Special Olympics. Meanwhile, BNSC Board chairperson, Marumo Morule said his future in the commission will be decided by Minister of Youth, Sport, Gender and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare. “I cannot say that I will continue to be the chairperson or not, that will depend on the minister. But, the AGM is set for November,” Morule said. The chairperson was appointed to lead the Board in 2019. During his tenure, he appointed BNSC CEO Tuelo Serufho.
It was during his term when school sport came to a standstill; there was a decline in the grants allocated to NSAs after the BNSC introduced the tier system. Despite the challenges, there were some achievements under Morule's leadership such as Botswana winning its maiden medal in the men's 100m at the World Athletics Championships 2023.
