Athletes engage OP in payment battle

Calistus Kolantsho | Wednesday November 22, 2017 16:58

 

The athletes have also written letters to the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA), Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC), Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, amongst others.

The 4§a2.2km women’s marathon winner, Onneile Dintwe told Mmegi Sport that the organisers of the Mayor’s marathon continue to play hide and seek regarding payments. She said that is why they decided to approach OP for intervention. Dintwe is owed P50,000 after winning the women’s race “We received a call from OP this week asking about the progress made regarding the payments. We informed them that we have not received anything. The OP has promised us that they have given the organisers three days before they take action,” she said.

Dintwe said last week they were told that they were going to be paid, only to learn that the Mayor (Kagiso Thutlwe) had left town for Belgium and will be coming back next week.

“Imagine being told you are being paid the same day when people knew that the mayor was travelling. Why should they do this to us? We have done everything in our power to plead for our payments,” she said. One of the items that was allegedly causing the delay was the marathon report, but it has long been submitted to the sponsor. It is also said officials who handled the marathon did not receive their allowances.

BAA president, Thari Mooketsi said he was informed last week that the payments were to be processed on Monday (November 20). Yesterday, he had not made a follow-up on the matter.

“I do not want to be seen like I am pressuring them. I am waiting to hear from them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mooketsi said the trend of failure to meet financial obligations to athletes is widespread, and not limited to the Mayor’s marathon. He said there are many marathon organisers who have failed to pay the athletes. He said some were held before he became the president. Mooketsi said most of the races, where athletes were unpaid, were not sanctioned by the BAA.