A bid destined to suffer embarrassing collapse
Friday, April 21, 2023 | 180 Views |
Futile effort: Signing of MoU between Botswana and Namibia for AFCON bid PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
On Wednesday, Namibia announced its shock withdrawal from the joint bid which became known as BONA 2027. The neighbouring country cited budgetary constraints and competing priorities.
Plans to bid for the 2017 AFCON received collective support from members of the public and various stakeholders. It was even widely predicted that Botswana and Namibia stood a good chance of winning the rights to host the 2027 tournament as CAF has been leaning more towards joint bids in recent years.
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...