BNSC Board appointment drags on
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday April 27, 2026 06:00
Speaking to MmegiSport this week, Kelebeng said the appointment of the new board is ongoing. When asked about the timeline, the minister stated he was not in a position to go into details on the matter. “The process is ongoing. That is all I can say,” he said.
The board, chaired by Marumo Morule, was dismissed due to what was termed 'a lack of alignment with the ministry’s strategic direction,' with some sources citing insubordination.
Board members, who were appointed in 2019 and had their term renewed in 2024, received termination letters in early February.
The minister was under scrutiny after the dismissal of the entire board. Some observers felt that National Sport Associations (NSA) representatives should not have been dismissed because they were not appointed by the minister.
Following the elections of Kelebogile Mmaneke Maplanka and Katlholo Mosimanegape during the BNSC elective congress in November 2023 as NSAs representatives, the two received a letter of appointment on April 22, 2024. Their appointment took effect on April 1, 2024.
The representatives were elected to serve on the board after being vetted and approved by the then Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture (MYSC). The board also included Women in Sport Botswana (WASBO) and representatives of the ministries of Local Government, Traditional Affairs, Education, and Child Welfare and Basic Education. There was also a representative of the Paralympic Sports Association of Botswana (PASSOBO).
Contacted for comment, Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) president, Tshepo Sitale, said the absence of the BNSC Board does not affect the operational level of the BNOC and BNSC.
He explained that BNSC and BNOC both have CEOs and their management is in place, meaning 'the show goes on.'
Sitale said the board is required at the strategic level and oversight level, not the operational level. Following the dissolution, the Ministry of Sport and Arts is providing operational direction to the BNSC.