The negotiating parties have come up with different proposals regarding funds.
The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chief executive officer, Tuelo Serufho informed the delegates during BNSC Annual General Assembly (AGA) held over the weekend that the Commission had submitted a proposal to the unions committing P40 million to school sport.
He said in return the unions submitted three proposals of which the cheapest was P200 million. “Remember that our ministry has not been funding school sport. The negotiations between MYSC, the Ministry of Basic Education and Skills Development, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and unions are not going according to the way we expected,” Serufho said. The BNSC Board chairperson, Marumo Morule said BNSC and MYSC do not have a mandate to negotiate with unions.
He added that the matter has been escalated to the relevant structure. He explained that the BNSC is piloting Sport for Communities, targeting school going children as a way to reduce the impact of lack of school-based sporting activities.
“We took a position to pilot a programme with few select National Sport Associations (NSAs) to establish development centres in the then 16 districts. Consultations were done with all the relevant stakeholders including the district leadership and the feedback was positive as most offered their support.
Equipment of each piloted sport codes was procured and delivered at the respective districts,” he said. Morule further said while the programme is a noble idea, it had its own challenges ranging from lack of qualified volunteer coaches in some areas, vetting of volunteers and volunteers demanding allowances which the BNSC cannot afford. “Only P10 million was allocated towards school sport in the current financial year, against the P60 million plus, which is the ideal amount to fully restore the school sport.
There is an indication from government that we might not receive the whole P10 million, which may affect our plans. We are still engaging government,” he said. The Botswana Football Association (BFA) chief executive officer (CEO), Mfolo Mfolo said funding remains a challenge and that means the country will forever remain behind.
He said it is high time the government had a substantial budget to assist sport. The Botswana Amateur Fencing Society (BAFS) secretary-general, Ntebo Maplanka said it is time to come up with solutions for school sport because the country is going down. “It is time to review the Task Team report.
There is mismatch of what is happening in sport and what is happening at education. Right now education speaks of pathways, a programme that is expected to be implemented next year,” she said. Meanwhile, Morule informed the delegates that the BNSC board term in office ended in November but it was extended for three months. Elections of two NSAs representatives in the board were held with Katlholo Mosimanegape and Maplanka emerging victorious. The two names would be presented to Minister Tumiso Rakgare for consideration into the board.
