TK cuts BFA grants
Sport
Hard to please Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tshekedi Khama has written a letter to Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) informing them about the looming intention and collective decision to seize part of the football association’s 2019-2020 annual subventions.
WeekendSport learns that sometimes in 2017, the Ministry of Sport, through BNSC paid an amount of P3 million on behalf of the association as legal expenses. This fee, specifically emanated from the cost incurred as BFA lost a lawful battle against one Pula Sports company that used to negotiate sponsors on behalf the Botswana Premier League (BPL) along the years of 2011 and 2012.
The company was co-directed by one former FIFA representative Ian Riley and Bennett Mamelodi who later became the league first ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The company’s claim to fame was when it negotiated millions of pulas to the league coffers under the local network giant, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC), then trading as be MOBILE.
While the company would finally lie down under liquidation hammer, the association was seen to have failed, on numerous occasions, to pay them their dues and commission that first settled at P 2.5 million before reaching what seemed to be insurmountable P3 million mark.
In November 2017, five years after the legal struggle, a conclusion was made that the Ministry of Sport will pay the amount to Pula Sports coffers but what happened thereafter was never discussed.
Tshekedi’s decision effectively means that BFA‘s subvention for this year will reach an all-time low of P 2.4 million. Without debts and any other costs, BFA is given P 5.4 million to run its affairs on annual basis. In furtherance of the Minister’s decision, BNSC’s CEO, Falcon Sedimo sent a communication to the BFA President Mac Lean Letshwiti on July 24th, notifying him about the debt and that the annual grant will be cut down. A copy of the letter, which WeekendSport has intercepted, is believed to have reached the table of the association’s CEO, Mfolo Mfolo this week.
Part of the letter reads: “This serves to inform you that we have received a letter from the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development to the effect that an amount of P 3 000 000 paid for legal fees on your behalf in 2017 be deducted from this year’s grant.” It continued, “you are therefore informed that the payment which was made on your behalf in November 2017, will be deducted from your 2019-2020 as per direction from the ministry.”
Efforts to reach the BFA CEO proved futile as the paper was going for print. However, some BFA high ranking members feel this is a continuous onslaught by the Minister on the association ever since he took the reins from Thapelo Olopeng. The member is of the view that BFA will formally reply as this was merely an extension of help by the Ministry. How and why it ultimately became a debt is yet to be established.
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Orange injects P350 000 into Phikwe marathon
Mobile network Orange Botswana is committed to supporting the development of local sport. Through its sponsorship, the company will be able to promote and market the sport. According to Maano Masisi, the company believes that sport can unite people from different backgrounds.
He stated that through the sponsorship of the marathon, the company will help promote healthy lifestyles and unity among the people of Selebi Phikwe.
The Selebi Phikwe Marathon is scheduled to take place on July 29, 2023. It is expected that it will attract international, regional, and social runners. A total of P216 000 has been allocated for the prize money for the first ten places in the 42.2 km race. For the 15km and 10km races, the LOC will give away prizes to the first five places.
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Sport
AFRICA’S RECOVERY: Sports as game changer
The year 2022 witnessed unprecedented phenomena. Several Africans- Gotytom Gebreslase, Sharon Lokedi, Victor Kiplangat, Tamarit Tola and many others- swept the World’s marathons records.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resulting control measures implemented in several countries, led to many high-level sports competitions being cancelled or shelved, the Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games was moved to 2026.
Founder and Executive Chairman, African Sports and Creative Institute, Will Mabiakop, says the inability to hold traditional and amateur sports events have had a serious effect on public health overall, including mental health, sparking a revolution whereby athletes began to talk more openly about stress, mental overload and performance anxiety.
“Africa is home to the fastest growing economies before the crisis, no longer on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). COVID-19 deepened interdependence between SDGs, making them harder to achieve, especially SDG 10 (reducing inequality) and SDG 5 (gender equality_ as the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on poorer countries, and heavier burdens (such as care work) fell to women.”
Mabiakop stresses that as policymakers contemplate actions to speed up recovery and build resilience, they must argue that sports and creative businesses should play a central feature in this effort.
“The sports economy worldwide is estimated at 5% of GDP, but only 0.5% in Africa. If exploited, Africa’s sports and creative industries can offer policymakers innovative solutions. Especially, as regards job creation, and providing employment to the 15 million people entering the job market annually.”
HOW CAN THE INDUSTRY DO THIS?
By leveraging the two-for-one concept: past studies shown that a 1% growth in the economy delivers a 2% job increment in this sector (these ratios are calculated using data from 48 African countries and adjusted to the reality of the sports economy in Africa by the authors). There are between 30 and 50 job types, in sports and creative industries, respectively. These jobs do not fade away with the first major shock.
Mabiakop indicated that policymakers can use these industries to tackle multiple crises- jobs, poverty, and climate risks. Sports diplomacy- defined as communication, representation and negotiation in or through the prism of sports- has proven effective in building inclusive and cohesive societies. Moreover, sports and the creative industry can support better mental health and well-being, both important for productivity.
“Policymakers can also be true to the game by leveraging culture and tradition to celebrate identity and reap commercial value in sports, textiles and jewelry. Creative sectors allow deeper connection with culture, are not easily copied and provide great economic potential.”
He said supporting grassroots sports has powerful distributional effects. “Fortunately, technology has made reaching wide audiences easier, generating higher rates of success when talent is discovered.”
However, Mabiakop held that potential pitfalls must be highlighted. “First avoid build it and they will come policies with infrastructures denuded from the rest of the ecosystem. Like the many sports stadiums left largely unused.”
“Policymakers must remain mindful of how these sectors move the needle in human capital development. Also, align the requisite public policies needed for progress from grassroots participation to professional sports, and even to international sporting events. They should also support investment instruments to render these sectors performant.”