Race to finalise anti-doping bill
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday October 21, 2023 06:00
The existing Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) Act of 2014 passively touch on some anti-doping matters. The Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport, and Culture (MYSC) permanent secretary, Kitso Kemoeng, informed MmegiSport that the NADO Bill is in an advanced stage.
Being a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, Botswana is actively working on amendments in collaboration with the Attorney General and consultation with WADA. "We are working on the amendments with the Attorney General and liaising with WADA. Further submissions were made this week from other stakeholders, and they will be added to the Bill," Kemoeng explained.
However, Kemoeng noted that NADO would unfortunately not be established as a parastatal due to the government's decision to halt the creation of new parastatals. “Parastatals have their own costs and we will see how NADO will be merged into the existing structures within the Ministry. As government, we do not support doping in sport and we support anti-doping education,” he said.
In recent years, Botswana has recorded a significant rise in positive doping cases. South Africa was also racing against time last week when they had to file a court appeal against WADA’s decision that threatened the country’s rugby and cricket teams from flying their national flags and using their singing national anthems at their respective World Cups.
Addressing this, Moses Moruisi, the interim chairperson of Botswana NADO, stressed the need for harmonising all anti-doping-related laws. “As regards the NADO Bill, it is still with the Ministry and I will only implement it when it is ready,” he said. Commenting on the recent situation in South Africa, where they faced WADA's repercussions, Moruisi expressed caution. He acknowledged that South Africa has one of the oldest NADO organisations in the region, considering it a gold standard.
“It means attention to detail when enacting anti-doping is a must. Let us hope we will not fall into the same loophole. We have little resources at our disposal. We have tried hard to be compliant,” Moruisi said. NADOs are organisations designated by their country or government as the primary authority at the national level for anti-doping programmes.
This involves adopting and implementing anti-doping rules, planning and executing anti-doping education, directing sample collection, conducting investigations, managing test results, and overseeing result management at the national level.