Reikeletseng dismisses abuse of office claims
Mqondisi Dube | Thursday January 29, 2015 17:00
An anonymous letter, purportedly written to the Minister of Youth Sport and Culture, Thapelo Olopeng raises issues of maladministration against Reikeletseng.
The letter urges Olopeng to act claiming sportspeople are concerned at how the BNSC chairperson is conducting sports affairs.
It said Reikeletseng seems to be driving the agenda of the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and not of the people, accusing former sports ministers, Shaw Kgathi and Vincent Seretse of aiding the administrator.
“The chairman is a bully who controls staff and they do what he orders even against the advice of other board members,” said the letter, supposedly copied to the Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime (DCEC), media houses, political parties and BNSC affiliates.
It further claimed centres of excellence are not wanted by the affiliates, but are being forced down by Reikeletseng. It is said Reikeletseng and Kgathi, now Minister of Justice and Security, took decisions to host the Botswana Games in Francistown and to cancel the 2014 edition.
The letter said Reikeletseng declared chess as a sport without the involvement of others after he received favour from chess officials.
It claimed Reikeletseng and his vice chairman decide the BNSC staff appointments.
“He is now recruiting the CEO alone and has made it clear to the people recruiting that former CEO Kitso Kemoeng should not be taken no matter what (sic).”
The author claimed he did not reveal his identity, as he feared victimisation. But Reikeletseng dismissed the author of the letter saying it was clear what kind of hurdles he faces in running sport.
“I have an agenda and it is to develop sport. A letter like this is a clear indication of what I face. If there was support we could be far.
“The person who wrote the letter seems angry and it is unfortunate. I will forge ahead with developing sport as long as I do not disadvantage Batswana,” he said. The letter comes amid reports of growing fissures among BNSC board members with claims a certain clique is behind the squabbling.