Stanchart Boss Applauds Runners
Monday, March 12, 2007
They missed out on prize money after falling behind Kenya who came first and won $30,000, followed by Zimbabwe ($15,000) and Uganda ($5000). Speaking in Gaborone, Yeboah said that with the competition attracting more seasoned athletes every year, the 2006-2007 edition was a thriller. She added that the Botswana team did not let the country down despite competition from the likes of powerhouses like Kenya. She praised the Botswana athletes for demonstrating the qualities of determination, strength and courage which the Standard Bank as the sponsors of the race believes in. "Standard Chartered Bank will continue to work in partnership with the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) to promote world class marathon runners. I am confident our runners will be winners of money one day. I specify money because they are already winners today," she said.
The Greatest Race on Earth is composed of four individual marathons in four cities. The race started in Nairobi, Kenya on October 29 last year where Gabaseme put up a brave performance to finish fifth behind Ugandan, Kenyan, Zimbabwean and Tanzanian runners in the Africa category. He clocked 02:30:35 and improved on his personal record of 02:33:51 when he ran the Mumbai leg in the previous edition. Bashingili took the baton in Singapore and registered 02:23:37 to take the aggregate team performance one notch up to fourth position. He improved his time of 02:24:15 ran in the Hong Kong leg.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...