Mosah Mokganedi
18 June 2009
Botswana National Olympics Committee (BNOC) president Negroes Kgosietsile believes he should be re-elected to the post because he is on the verge of achieving more milestones at the organisation.
He said that after convincing the government to allocate a plot to BNOC and to come up with a sports policy, he is on course to spearhead the building of the organisation's offices and the enactment of a Sports Act.
The BNOC goes to elections next month where Kgosietsile is expected to be challenged by his publicity secretary, Solly Reikeletseng. Kgosietsile believes he has achieved a lot during his nine-year tenure and it will be senseless if he is voted out while he is about to finish 'building the house'.
The BNOC boss fears that should a new person come on board, it will mean starting from square zero. "As it is now, I have established rapport with different stakeholders and if a new person comes in, it will mean he or she will have to start all over again. It took us time to be where we are and we should guard it jealously," he advised.
Under Kgosietsile, the BNOC successfully persuaded the government to come up with a sports policy. His committee has also secured a plot from the government to build BNOC offices. Kgosietsile took over from Ismail Bhamjee in 2001. He does not agree with the people who say he has been at the helm for too long and somebody else should take over. "You do not rest until a house you are building is complete," he explained.
He said his main priority after re-election is to strengthen the BNOC secretariat by employing more workers. Kgosietsile said until recently there was no role clarity between the BNOC and the Botswana National Sports Council and this posed a big challenge. The two organisations have previously clashed because of lack of role clarity. Kgosietsile believes that the Sports Act that is at its initial stage will clarify the situation.
He said they have not been able to develop the organisation fully because of financial reasons. Until recently, the government has been sponsoring the BNOC only during major international activities like the Olympic Games. Kgosietsile said that now that they are sponsored every year, they will be empowered to develop their programmes. He said BNOC is on the verge of building its own centre to develop sport. The BNSC chief appealed to candidates to guard against talking badly about others during the campaigns.
"We have come from far together and there is no need to defame each other," he said.
He cautioned aspirants to be more prepared because running an organisation like BNOC is not easy. "Leading an organisation like BNOC is a big challenge," he said.
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