Says resumption of school sports is a priority
GAZETTE REPORTER
The Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture Tumiso Rakgare has hinted at the long-awaited return of school sports after two full years of no sporting activities in schools.
The absence of sports in schools resulted from unsuccessful negotiations for better pay and back pay that amounted to P60 million by teachers conducting extra-curricular activities in schools.
Speaking after President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) recently, Minister Rakgare said resumption of school sports is a top priority for early next year.
“The conversation and engagement between all relevant stakeholders is ongoing so the activities could resume early next year,” he said. “I am very confident that a collective decision will be made from this engagement, which would be in the best interest of sports development in Botswana.” he said.
Stakeholders
However, the minister said sports may return to schools in a slightly different model that aligns with development of talent at the grassroots level.
“I have always said the model that is used to conduct school sports is not well structured and I am happy that we will return better and stronger,” he said.
“For instance, the first term has been for athletics and the second term for ball sports. That is very wrong, in my view. Why can’t we run all these sport codes all year because we have proved beyond reasonable doubt that we are a country of athletics?”
Minister Rakgare disclosed that his ministry will ensure that sports facilities in schools are also in good order.