Some sports codes finished their qualifiers without receiving a single thebe from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, which meant they had to make ends meet to complete the qualifying stages. Now tempers are starting to rise at the Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC) as members are running out of patience. The BNOC is responsible for the preparations.
When other BNOC members were reluctant to discuss the issue, on the grounds that it has reached "a very sensitive stage", committee spokesperson Solly Reikeletseng was the only one brave enough to throw some light on the crisis. The committee is accusing the ministry of treating the whole issue lightly. Reikeletseng said they have been made to look like fools because in the eyes of the public it now looks like the BNOC chiefs are the ones failing to deliver. "We have been put in a place of responsibility and people expect us to deliver, but the ministry people are wasting our time," the visibly emotional Reikeletseng charged. He said they are getting tired of the delays in releasing the funds. Reikeletseng said they are not even sure whether the Botswana team will make it to Beijing.
