The Ministry of Basic Education has indefinitely suspended schools sports.
This was revealed in a communique sent to both Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) and Botswana Primary Schools Sports Association (BOPSSA).
In the letter the Ministry states that after consultations with key stakeholders such as Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Schools Heads Committees and concerned sports associations, a decisions was taken to suspend all sports activities as carrying on was not financially sustainable.
In her letter, Permanent Secretary- Bridgette John, stated the report submitted by the Sports Task Team in June 2019 did not make any recommendations on what will significantly reduce the cost of running competitive sports.
“There’s need for further engagements between the ministry and that of Youth to clarify roles and make school sports sustainable,” she said.
The letter further reveals that the ministry has been struggling to pay participation fees as its sports budget for sports remains at P2 million a year against an annual cost of about P60 million.
John stated that the Ministry was forced to transfer funds from training and feeding votes to pay for teachers’ paticipation in athletics in 2019. “Currently the ministry owes about P32 million to teachers for their participation in July ball games.”
The Ministry has therefore prioritised paying off the debt hence the suspension.