There have been back-and-forth negotiations between unions and the government since 2019 without a notable breakthrough. An Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky, Tshepang Tshube, who was in the country recently, said school sport should be discussed as a technical and not a political issue. “If we discuss school sport as a political issue, we are bargaining. It is a purely technical matter that says playing sport in schools is part of a child's development, we know that it is also good for education development which rests with the roles of the teachers. We can discuss how they do it but it should be between those confines. If it is discussed as a political issue, then someone has to win.School sport is not an issue in Botswana, in other countries what they do is that a teacher who is involved in school sport, their contract does not have to be the same as other teachers. You hire a teacher who also coaches, and you distribute their efforts,” Tshube said.
He said there are many ways school sport can be addressed, but it needs to be purely a technical issue as if it is politicised, people will find a way to make money. He said the past regime failed to resolve the matter because they spent a lot of time on the negotiation table. Tshube said the Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng should understand that the Sport Act is a major task, but he must rise above personalities within sport and find a long-term solution for it. “It is fine for the government to give money to non-governmental organisations, and government monitors how funds are spent. The government must merge the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) and the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), when you merge them, it means the government will continue funding sport but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter will take precedence over the BNSC Act. I am aware that it would mean the government will let go of the power of appointing the board,” he said.
