Relays glory meets growing complaints
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday May 8, 2026 09:50
The competition, held at the National Stadium last Saturday and Sunday, was the first World Relays held on African soil and produced some of the greatest moments with the highlight being when the local men’s 4x400m team clocked a World Relays record of 2:54.47. However, beyond the record-breaking performances on the track, frustrations have surfaced from some sections of the transport sector, volunteers, spectators, and local media over what they describe as exclusion, poor coordination and communication failures. The Taxi Association of Botswana has accused organisers and government of sidelining the local transport industry during the championships. The body’s chairperson, Edison Tlhomelang, is quoted as saying the taxi sector should have been integrated into the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) framework to allow local operators to benefit from transporting athletes, officials, and visitors. He argued that despite the influx of visitors into Gaborone, the anticipated economic spin-offs did not fully reach local transport operators. Meanwhile, complaints involving volunteers and technical officials have circulated widely on social media platforms and were also reported by local publications in the days following the championships.
The complaints, largely shared through screenshots, messages, and online rants, centred on alleged confusion over allowances, accommodation, feeding arrangements, and working conditions for volunteers serving under international athletics officiating structures. According to the circulating complaints, volunteers were initially informed they would receive $20 per day over four days before later being told the payment structure had shifted to P300 per day. Some volunteers alleged the communication changed repeatedly, in some cases, whilst officials were already queued for payment collection. Other complaints suggested that some volunteers were not fully compensated for all the days worked during the championships. Issues around accommodation and transport reimbursements also featured prominently in the online grievances, whilst feeding arrangements reportedly changed several times during the event. Some volunteers claimed they were at one stage instructed to share meals with Sports Volunteer Movement (SVM) volunteers before later being separated. Additional frustrations were raised over promised merchandise. According to the complaints, volunteers expected full officiating apparel, including windbreakers, trousers, and bags, but some alleged they only received T-shirts and shoe bags.
Operational concerns extended beyond volunteers, as at the National Stadium, long queues were observed at entry points during peak periods, with some spectators spending extended periods waiting to gain access. Although tickets were expected to correspond with designated seat numbers, several attendees reported inconsistencies that led to confusion inside some sections of the stadium. Local journalists also experienced accreditation challenges. MmegiSport understands that around 50 media spaces had been allocated for local journalists, excluding television crews. Several journalists who applied online and received confirmation failed to secure accreditation upon collection after being informed their applications had not yet been approved. Despite the concerns, the championships were widely praised internationally for the quality of competition and Botswana’s successful hosting of a major global athletics event for the first time. Still, the issues emerging after the event have shifted part of the conversation away from the track and towards the operational realities of hosting a global sporting spectacle.