Sport Pitso: New gov’t to lay mark

The Minister of Sport and Arts, Jacob Kelebeng, will officially open the meeting, which has been called by his ministry and will bring together critical stakeholders to chart a new path for the sector. Amongst key issues on the agenda will be sport funding, school sport, the country's hosting strategy, and the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) Act.

The Pitso presents a platform for the new government to align its policies with the administration's goals. The gathering will bring together the National Sport Associations (NSA), the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC), and BNSC boards under one roof. The meeting is held against a backdrop of constricted sport funding as the grant from the government has been declining over the years. Sport in government schools was suspended in 2018 after a clash with teachers over unpaid allowances. The tension led to the previous government setting up a Task Team to overhaul school sport. Last year, the government announced the return of school sport, and set aside P55 million, which was expected to rejuvenate and provide resources to the athletes.