No more appearance fees for officials

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Thursday November 25, 2010 00:00

 

Some of the team officials serve in various sports bodies so paying them appearance is double remuneration. Appearance fees for officials and players on national duty were introduced last year as a brainchild of President Ian Khama.

The Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC), which was tasked with implementing the directive has been paying appearance fees to team officials on national duty.

However, the Department of Sports and Recreation (DSR) has ordered the BNSC to stop the payments to officials.

The BNSC and DSR held a meeting yesterday to see how officials who are not employees of sports bodies can be paid appearance fees.

Some officials have, however, been riled by the decision to cancel the fees, arguing they make sacrifices just like players. 'A team is not complete without us.

We do a lot behind the scenes to ensure the success of the team,' said an official who preferred anonymity. He said managers are volunteers just like players and he does not understand why their payment has been scrapped.

Though he emphasised the importance of appearance fees, Botswana Softball Association (BSA) president, Marumo Morule said the fact that they are not paid should not make any difference. He said the payment of appearance fees is inconsistent.

'We did not even bother to ask why they were stopped because we knew asking will not make any difference,' Morule said.

He added that in the three international competitions that BSA participated in after introduction of appearance fees, they were only paid once. A boxing official, who did not want to be named, said they are owed a lot of money in appearance fees.

BNSC spokesperson, Modipe Nkwe said they initially paid officials, as per the DRS directive but it seems there has been a misunderstanding.

'May be we misunderstood them, but we know a team to mean every stakeholder not just athletes,' Nkwe said.

He denied that payment of appearance fees are inconsistent. 'As long as the team is representing the country and proper arrangements were made with us, the team was paid,' Nkwe said.