Cracks Develop Within School Sport Task Team

Calistus Kolantsho | Monday September 28, 2020 12:42

At the centre of looming dispute is the issue of allowances.

According to information reaching Sport Monitor, there is no budget for the team. A source has revealed that the members have to cater for themselves unless they are sponsored by their associations. “When we go for meetings even if we finish late, we have to travel back to our homes because there is no accommodation provided for us. We have been informed that there is no budget for us,” the source said.

Responding to the allegations, Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) Permanent Secretary, Kago Ramokate said he was not aware of the complaints raised by the some members of the JTT. “They have MYSC and MOBE officials in the team to facilitate them. So I expect that their issues are dealt with accordingly,” Ramokate said. The JTT will carry out a comprehensive review of sport development and competition in schools.

MYSC and Ministry of Basic Education (MoBE) set up the team at a time when school sport was suspended since the beginning of the year. For the first few years, the government coped with paying overtime for the team, although cracks were to emerge later, with the state struggling to pay the dues.

In 2017 school sport associations had to request for funding to pay teachers. Since then, to date, there has been little or no peace in the team. Successive ministers have failed to decisively deal with the issue, with school children at the receiving end. The challenge came full cycle in March when the MoBE permanent secretary, Bridget John dropped a bombshell. She announced the suspension of sports at schools. The ministry owed about P32 million to teachers for their participation in the 2019 ball games.

The JTT chairperson, Tapiwa Masunga told Sport Monitor that they have started the assignment. “The team has been divided into regions. They are meeting with key stakeholders. Students are also engaged because this is their project,” she said.

When asked if teacher unions are involved in the project, Masunga said unions would be engaging with Ministries. She explained that the team has been assigned to do the technical aspects. She said the team is expected to complete their project by November.

The other members are MYSC principal programme officer-sport, Lincoln Goitsemang, principal education officer at MoBE headquarters Mogametsi Kowa, Botswana National Olympic Committee board member, Tebo Segaise and BISA President, Gaotlhobogwe. Yet others are Botswana Primary Schools Sport Association vice president-technical, Selebatso Keabetswe, Botswana National Sport Commission technical director, Bobby Gaseitsiwe, Ronald Dlamini (MoBE) and University of Botswana senior lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Dr Tshepang Tshube.