Society model under renewed pressure
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday March 30, 2026 06:00
In particular, popular sides, Extension Gunners and Township Rollers, have faced mounting financial challenges, in large part, due to their structure, which sees supporters exert considerable control.
Assistant Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, expressed concern at the persistence with this model during debate in Parliament this week. He said football is now commercial, hence the need to reconsider the societies arrangement.
'You can't have Gunners and Rollers not doing well, and you expect everything is fine. Let us rethink this societies arrangement,' Dikoloti said.
For his part, the Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, said he understands Dikoloti’s concern.
“There is a need for further consultations with stakeholders, also for public education so that our people understand the importance of commercialisation, and how sport has grown. It is expensive to run sport, more especially football, so there is a need for commercialisation,” he told MmegiSport.
Kelebeng said there is a need to move with the times, treat sport as a business and a contributor to the economy.
“We know in other countries, such as Spain, societies work nicely, but those are developed countries backed by large capital. It is clear the model has not worked in Botswana, hence instabilities in our teams,” Kelebeng added.