Ndadi to leave BONELA

The Botswana Networkon Ethics, Law andHIV/ AIDS (BONELA)Executive Director, UyapoNdadi will step down fromthe organisation when his contractelapses at the end of theyear.Revealing the news at apress conference held onMonday, BONELA boardchairman Tshiamo Rantaosaid Ndadi notifi ed the boardabout his intensions to leaveand they accepted it. He notedthat in 2011 they persuadedhim to extend his stay whenhe had wanted to pursue hisother ambitions, saying that itwould be selfi sh of the organisationto convince him for thesecond time to stay.

 

Ndadi has been at the helmof BONELA since June 2009.Prior to that, he was a volunteerin the organisation’s LegalDepartment which he setup in 2004 as a law student atthe University of Botswana.Upon graduating in 2006, hejoined Collins Newman & Coand a year later he rejoinedBONELA as a Legal Offi cer.Rantao thanked Ndadi forhis sterling contribution totheir work and his astute leadership,saying his love forBONELA and the cause is unquestionable.“Under Ndadi’sleadership, we saw BONELAtransform to be a householdname, and very divisive in nature.Everyone has an opinionabout what BONELA does, beit on the rights of people livingwith HIV/ AIDS or sexual minorities.Ndadi has confrontedissues with impeccable andadmirable courage and resilience.

 

 

We would rememberhim for successfully lobbyingMembers of Parliament to reject,modify or accept policiesand laws,” Rantao said.He further said; “The publichealth law is one such example.He has developed thejurisprudence of Botswana’slegal system by workingon cases of HIV dismissalsat the workplace, wrongfulHIV diagnosis and invasionof privacy. His efforts havebeen noticed by people locallyand internationally,including eminent personssuch as Barack Obama, whohas previously invited him tothe Whitehouse. He is also arecipient of an internationalaward conferred on him byJunior Chamber Internationalfor being one of the Ten OutstandingYoung Persons of theworld (TOYP).”

 

 

“I will personally rememberNdadi as an approachable,level headed and intelligentlawyer, blogger, teacher andabove all, a spirited activist.I wish him well in his futureaspirations,” the attorney said.He revealed that they areworking closely with theirpartners to ensure that thetransition of the ExecutiveDirector is smooth. He saidthey are embarking on an extensiverecruitment process toidentify a suitable candidate totake over from Ndadi and providedynamic leadership forBONELA beyond 2013.Even though Ndadi is mumon where he will be headingto, he assured that he will remainin touch with the issuesaligned to BONELA core valuesand will continue to offerhis expertise.