Category: Sunday Standard

A government spokesperson has claimed ignorance of any attempt to weaponize the public media towards engineer public approval or manufacturing consent for the Constitutional Court, although Mass Media Complex reporters insist that there is coordinated political messaging across all public media platforms, on the Constitutional Court and healthcare crisis debates.

The Ministry stated this week that, it ‘respects the independence of media institutions and does not issue directives that undermine these constitutional principles..

No directive has been issued to suspend phone-in programmes on Radio Botswana. Decisions relating to programme formats and scheduling are managed internally by the broadcaster in accordance with its operational and editorial guidelines.’

The ministry was responding to claims from public media reporters that government has set out to regiment the public media, and for the whole of last week, call-in segments of all RB1 and RB2 programmes were suspended in a bid to control the public debate on the controversial Constitutional Court and national drug shortage.

The journalists stated that RB 1 broadcaster Letumile Lets Montsosa was removed from the Masa -a-sele morning programme and later reinstated, after letting slip that there are official instructions to ‘manage’ the callers. Montsosa’s aborted re-deployment is reported to be part of a bigger plan to co – opt the Mass Media Complex newsrooms. Government was however forced to climbdown on its plans following public backlash.

Following the incident, all call-in segment of Radio Botswana programmes were suspended for the whole of last week. The reporters claimed that, even the selection of guests invited to discuss both the Constitutional Court and drug shortages has been tightly controlled to stack the card in favour of the Constitutional Court.

Responding Sunday Standard queries, the Ministry of State, Defence and Security said it is not aware of any such instructions having been issued. ‘Editorial content and programming decisions within government media institutions fall under the operational mandate of the Department of Broadcasting Services and established editorial structures.’

The Ministry also insisted that ‘No directive has been issued to suspend phone-in programmes on Radio Botswana. Decisions relating to programme formats and scheduling are managed internally by the broadcaster in accordance with its operational and editorial guidelines.’

The government spokesperson further stated that, the Ministry ‘does not manage or oversee the selection of guests for programmes aired on state media platforms,’ adding that ‘Guest selection is an editorial function undertaken by programme producers in line with established broadcasting standards and principles of balanced reporting.’ The government official was responding to journalist reports that guest selection for RB1, RB2 and Btv programmes are not editorial decisions, but part of government’s play to saturate the public media information space with its narrative.

The Ministry further denied reports that BTv content on President Duma Boko’s tour of government hospitals is not generated by journalists, but by government enclave boosters who have been deployed to come up with massaged positive messages.

It has emerged that (Btv) reporters are not assigned to cover President Duma Boko’s hospital tours. Instead, the channel given ready-to-air footage choreographed by government officials limiting on-the-ground reporting.

Government journalists spoke of coordinated state-driven efforts to control information, by prioritizing government enclave narrative over the watchdog function of the public media. President Boko and Health Minister Stephen Modise are currently touring several hospitals following the release of a damning Ombudsman report that highlighted serious deficiencies in healthcare delivery and drug procurement.

Government ministers have also been dispatched to lead public consultations on the proposed Constitutional Court, an initiative that has stirred public debate. Some citizens have expressed strong opposition to the perceived rush to establish the court, arguing that the government should first prioritise securing essential medications for public hospitals.

The government spokesperson argued that BTV reporters have not been barred from independently covering presidential activities.

‘Where pooled or shared footage is utilised, this is generally for logistical or coordination purposes and does not preclude independent reporting by media practitioners.’

The Botswana Government has been operating out of touch with the realities facing public health facilities across the country. In its newly released report, the Ombudsman has exposed what it describes as a profound disconnect between government policy-making and the grim realities inside Botswana’s public health facilities revealing that the Ministry of Health was largely unaware of the depth and scale of the crisis unfolding on the ground.

According to the Ombudsman’s investigation, there are ‘significant deficiencies in the Ministry’s awareness of, and effective oversight over, conditions prevailing within public health facilities,’ exposing what the report also describes as a ‘marked disconnection between policy-level governance and operational realities on the ground.’

Information reaching Sunday Standard suggesting that President Duma Boko and the Minister of Health Stephen Modise’s recent nationwide tour of some public hospitals was triggered by the release of the damning investigation. Sources within the government enclave say the report’s findings jolted the leadership into action after it became clear that senior decision-makers had been operating in the dark while conditions in hospitals deteriorated.

The report paints a bleak picture of systemic dysfunction. Among the most alarming findings was the operation of an X-ray machine at Hukuntsi Primary Hospital that was emitting unsafe radiation levels, exposing patients and staff to serious health risks. In other facilities, laboratory analysers acquired outside formal procurement processes were abruptly withdrawn following ministry directives, in the absence of any policy governing donations. This left hospitals routinely referring patients to distant facilities for basic laboratory tests due to chronic shortages of equipment and reagents.

Infection control has also been severely compromised. The Ombudsman found a ‘widespread absence of functional autoclaves’, forcing hospitals to transport surgical instruments over long distances for sterilisation. The report notes that this practice not only undermined efficiency but also heightened the risk of infection. Compounding these failures, medical personnel frequently advised patients especially in urgent cases to purchase essential medicines and non-medical supplies out of their own pockets.

‘These realities highlight a stark disconnect between the Ministry’s oversight responsibilities, the duty to provide medicines, and the lived realities of service delivery within public healthcare facilities,’ the report states.

The investigation found that through a series of administrative actions and omissions, Botswana has ‘to a certain extent failed in her obligations regarding the right to health, particularly the duty to respect this right.’ This failure is linked to inadequate ambulance services, limited hospital bed space, shortages of demoralised staff, weak patient complaints mechanisms, chronic medicine stockouts, and budgetary mismanagement.

Across the country, investigators encountered overcrowded wards, lack of privacy, inadequate bedding, and delayed emergency responses conditions described as ‘incompatible with human dignity’. The Ombudsman warns that these shortcomings disproportionately affect low-income and rural populations who depend exclusively on public healthcare, thereby undermining the constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) emerged as the epicentre of the crisis. Allegations previously reported in the media were substantiated with the report stating that the hospital is operating beyond its functional limits and is ‘effectively at a breaking point’. the report says hospital management likened PMH to ‘an old, heavily worn vehicle, overloaded with passengers and packages, yet still expected to transport the entire population of Botswana safely to its destination.’

Emergency medical services were found to be equally fragile. At the time of the report, the Ministry of Health was operating 101 active ambulances alongside 87 inactive ones. Many of the active vehicles are over five years old and fail to meet roadworthiness standards, forcing government to spend heavily on repairs. The Ministry also lacked any policy framework to determine the optimal number of ambulances needed nationally, resulting in ad hoc procurement and escalating inefficiencies.

The report says the government spends an estimated P12 million annually on private emergency medical services, a move the Ombudsman describes as ‘reactive’ and lacking long-term sustainability. Matters were worsened by the Government Purchase Office moratorium, which restricted fuel procurement for ambulances, directly delaying patient transfers and, in some cases, leading to adverse outcomes.

Laboratory services have also been crippled. Persistent reagent shortages and obsolete equipment have left most public laboratories without accreditation. Only five government laboratories currently meet accreditation standards, while Scottish Livingstone Hospital’s accreditation was suspended in November 2025.

The Ombudsman warns that these systemic failures not only endanger patients but also significantly increase government exposure to legal liability. ‘Each failure undermines patient well-being and places the state at risk through breaches of non-delegable duties and vicarious liability,’ the report notes.

The investigation says that unless these barriers are urgently addressed, Botswana’s public health system will continue to erode public trust, deepen inequality, and fall short of safeguarding the fundamental right to health and life.

Dozens of patients left permanently injured after spinal cord stimulators were implanted to treat chronic back pain say government continues to ignore their pleas to have the devices removed, leaving them trapped in pain, disability and prolonged legal limbo.

The affected patients are victims of neurosurgeon Dr. Thabo Rowland, who inserted the spinal cord stimulators during procedures carried out after referrals from the public health system. Dr. Rowland has since been cited in multiple lawsuits alongside the government and health authorities, with patients accusing him of negligence and of implanting devices that were allegedly not properly authorized for use in Botswana.

Instead of relief, patients say the stimulators triggered devastating and irreversible complications. These include severe mobility problems, loss of bladder control, neurological impairment, chronic pain, sexual dysfunction and, in some cases, strokes. Several patients have since been forced into early medical retirement, losing their livelihoods and independence.

Correspondence seen by this publication shows that some victims have written directly to senior government offices in desperation after failing to secure help from the Ministry of Health. In their letters, they describe how the devices inserted by Dr Rowland years ago continue to cause daily suffering, while local specialists either decline or delay removing them.

Although the Ministry of Health has stated in writing that neurosurgeons exist locally who are capable of assessing and managing the removal of spinal cord stimulators, patients say this assurance has not translated into real action. They complain of endless referrals, repeated assessments and instructions to ‘wait’, while their conditions steadily worsen.

‘We were referred by government doctors to the doctor who implanted these devices,’ said one affected patient. ‘Now the same system says help is available, but nothing is being done.’

Court records from an ongoing High Court case question whether the Ministry of Health conducted proper due diligence before referring patients to Dr. Rowland and before allowing the importation and use of the spinal cord stimulators he implanted. The lawsuits further allege that at least one of the devices inserted by Dr. Rowland was not registered with the national medicines regulator, meaning its safety, quality and effectiveness were unknown at the time of implantation.

According to the court documents, patients were not given meaningful alternatives or second opinions before undergoing surgery by Dr. Rowland, and many only later discovered that the devices implanted in their bodies were potentially unlawful. Some victims reportedly underwent as many as seven procedures funded by government, yet emerged significantly worse off than before the interventions.

Dr. Rowland is cited as a defendant in the lawsuits, accused of failing to exercise due care and professional diligence when inserting the spinal cord stimulators. Government, meanwhile, is accused of failing to protect patients by referring them to the doctor without ensuring that the devices he used were lawful, safe and properly regulated.

For a brief period, hope emerged when authorities explored sending patients abroad for specialist treatment. A small number were taken to India, where some stimulators were removed. However, many others were left behind. Subsequent correspondence from senior government offices indicated that further overseas treatment would not be funded, with patients advised instead to pursue pain management and counselling.

Victims argue that such advice ignores the root cause of their suffering. ‘Pain management cannot fix a device that was implanted and that continues to damage our bodies,’ said another patient. ‘We need these stimulators removed.’

Patients say delays in both court proceedings and medical intervention are compounding their misery.

‘We are fighting the doctor who implanted these devices, the government that referred us to him, and a system that now refuses to undo the damage,’ said one victim. ‘All we are asking for is to have these stimulators removed.’

Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) has approved a seven-year US$10 million (P131 million) term loan to Letshego Africa Holdings, positioning the facility as part of a broader push to expand lending into social-impact sectors while supporting one of the country’s most active non-bank lenders.

BDC said the funding will support programmatic lending in areas such as affordable housing, education, healthcare and micro- and small-enterprise finance. The deal falls under the state-owned investor’s impact investment strategy, which seeks to combine financial returns with measurable social outcomes.

‘This facility is more than a funding agreement; it is an investment in the resilience of the African household,’ BDC managing director Oteng Keabetswe said. He added that the corporation is prioritising partnerships capable of delivering ‘double-bottom-line’ returns – financial sustainability alongside developmental impact.

For Letshego, the funding arrives at a time when local capital markets have become more expensive and less liquid. Chief executive Reinette van der Merwe said the loan improves liquidity flexibility ‘at an important phase of the Group’s growth and recovery’ and strengthens its ability to absorb macroeconomic volatility.

The contrast with recent market funding is stark. In November, Letshego raised P89.5 million under its amended P3.5 billion medium-term note programme at yields ranging between 18 percent and 18.5 percent – among the highest borrowing costs the group has faced in recent years. BDC said the structure of the loan is intended to help sustain lending within Letshego’s lower-risk payroll-deduction portfolios and other programmatic products, where access to affordable funding has tightened.

For BDC, the transaction also reflects a more active balance-sheet strategy, following recent portfolio restructuring. The corporation returned to profitability in the year ended June 2025, though liquidity pressures remain evident.

For decades, absence defined marriage in much of rural Botswana. Husbands left for the mines of South Africa, sometimes for years, sometimes for a lifetime of contracts stitched together by brief homecomings. In their absence, women quietly rebuilt the meaning of family, running homesteads, raising children, managing cattle, starting small businesses, and making decisions once reserved for men. What happens, then, when the husbands come back?

The return is often imagined as a restoration, a family reunited, authority neatly reclaimed, order resumed. But for many Batswana women, the homecoming marked the beginning of a more complicated chapter, one filled with negotiation, loss, and, at times, rupture.

What happened when those men finally came home is the subject of a new historical study by Unaludo Sechele, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of the Free State. Drawing on interviews conducted across Botswana’s North-East and Central districts, the research titled: The return of husbands: of male labour returnees and women in Botswana, c.1970-2023, traces how women who had quietly become heads of households were forced to renegotiate power when husbands returned after years, and sometimes decades, away.

During the years of absence, women stepped into roles traditionally reserved for men in a deeply patriarchal society. ‘When husbands were absent,’ the paper notes, ‘wives took over as family heads in most cases,’ managing finances, farming, and child-rearing without daily male authority.

That autonomy, however, proved fragile. As South Africa retrenched mine workers in the late 1980s and Botswana’s economy stabilised after independence, thousands of men returned home. Many sought to reclaim their status as heads of families, often clashing with wives who had built lives and livelihoods in their absence.

For some women, the return marked the beginning of violence. ‘My husband was already at the mines when we got married,’ said Julia Keneetswe, who was interviewed for the study. ‘Since he came home after being fired for fighting with a colleague at the mine, there hasn’t been any peace.’ She described being stabbed by her husband in 2018, leaving her disabled. ‘I will just stay here and mind my own business. just hoping he won’t kill me,’ she said.

Others described subtler but equally destabilising shifts. Mary Mojadi, whose husband retired after 32 years of migrant labour, said his return upended a household she had run alone for decades. ‘He treated us like the people he supervised at the mine,’ she said. ‘He brought his work mentality home.’ Their marriage eventually collapsed.

Not all reunions ended in conflict. Some couples adapted, sharing work and income after years apart. But the study makes clear that the return of husbands was not a simple restoration of family life. Instead, it often reopened unresolved tensions about authority, money and gender.

In many cases, men returned without the steady wages that once justified their authority. Women, meanwhile, had learned to survive without remittances by starting businesses, farming commercially, or entering professional careers. ‘Women could earn more money than their husbands,’ the paper notes, ‘but it was not culturally acceptable. and it was viewed as threatening the husband’s authority’.

The result, Sechele argues, was a reckoning delayed by migration itself. Labour migration had quietly reshaped family power structures. For some women, the conclusion was stark. ‘Now, when I look back,’ said Lotlhe Sedibe, whose husband took control of property she had built during his absence, ‘I realise my life was wonderful without him’.

The long absence, it turns out, did not merely separate families. It transformed them in ways that could not easily be undone.

Francistown-based Premier League giants TAFIC have landed a multimillion-pula sponsorship deal, a significant boost that is expected to ease the club’s financial pressures. The partnership, set to begin in January 2026, will be backed by a leading local bank and is being widely viewed as a potential turning point in TAFIC’s fortunes.

One of northern Botswana’s most popular and historic football clubs, TAFIC commands a loyal following and strong regional identity. The alliance with a reputable local bank is expected to deliver mutual gains including long-term financial stability, operational support for the club, and high-profile brand exposure for the sponsor through one of the north’s most recognisable sporting institutions. Beyond the balance sheet, the deal is also poised to deepen community engagement, reflecting the shared roots and influence of both partners in the region.

The sponsorship arrives at a critical time for TAFIC, which has faced serious financial challenges in recent months. The club struggled at times to meet obligations, including player salaries, disrupting preparations and creating uncertainty within the squad. The new deal is expected to stabilise finances and provide a solid foundation for the future.

Immediate benefits include improved player welfare. With financial backing in place, salaries and bonuses are anticipated to be paid promptly, easing anxiety among players and technical staff. This stability is likely to translate into better on-field performances, as players can focus fully on football without financial distractions.

Supporters have welcomed the announcement, describing it as a major morale booster for both team and fan base. Many believe the sponsorship restores confidence in the club’s future.

‘The sponsorship has come at the right time,’ said one supporter. ‘Even though it is coming midway through the season, it will help keep the players motivated and focused. They will now play knowing that their welfare is not in jeopardy.’

The financial injection is also expected to play a key role when the transfer window opens in January. TAFIC will be in a stronger position to retain top players, who have previously been targeted by rival clubs. Additionally, the club is likely to invest in new signings to strengthen key areas of the squad, improving competition within the team and boosting overall performance.

TAFIC will aim to build on last season’s strong showing, where they finished second in the league behind champions Gaborone United. That campaign highlighted the club’s potential to compete at the highest level despite financial constraints. With improved resources and stability, expectations are high that TAFIC can mount another serious title challenge.

Beyond the pitch, the sponsorship is expected to enhance fan engagement and match-day experiences. Supporters can anticipate better organised home games, stronger branding, and community initiatives linked to the partnership, further cementing TAFIC’s reputation as a leading football institution in northern Botswana.

Club officials believe the partnership signals a new chapter focused on consistency, professionalism, and competitiveness. With renewed optimism, solid financial backing, and strong fan support, TAFIC will hope the sponsorship propels the club back to its rightful place of playing good football and making supporters proud.

‘Always late.’ ‘Leaves before lunch.’ ‘Not committed to his work.’ These are some of the accusations levelled by shareholders against Botswana Football League Chief Executive Officer (BFL CEO) Billy Sekgororoane.

Barely three months into his contract, BFL shareholders say they are not happy with how he is running the league. The frustration has now reached a point where some shareholders want the CEO and the entire board removed from office.

They say the league is failing, and the leadership is to blame. According to several shareholders, the main problem is the way the CEO handles his responsibilities. They allege that he is not running the office properly and does not show commitment to the job.

Some allege that he is often not available at the office and that staff members sometimes have to take documents to his home for signing. They further claim that he arrives late at work and leaves before lunchtime on many days. For them, this is clear evidence that the CEO is not taking his duties seriously.

Worse still, the shareholders allege that the CEO does not have adequate knowledge to run a professional football league. One chairperson said the CEO has no understanding of what is happening in the league and does not know what interventions are needed to solve the financial crisis the league is facing. They believe the league needs a leader who understands football administration and can manage the growing challenges.

Another issue that has caused tension is the distribution of broadcasting rights money. The league received P5 million from TV rights, but the shareholders say they want 80% of that money to go to the clubs and only 20% to the office. They argue that the clubs are the ones carrying the financial burden of running teams every week, yet they receive the smaller share of the funds.

Shareholders have also accused the CEO of failing to meet them to resolve pending operational issues. They feel ignored and say he does not treat their concerns with urgency. This has created mistrust between the league office and the clubs.

One of the most serious allegations is that the CEO terminated the Betway sponsorship without consulting the shareholders. They say such major decisions should not be taken by CEO and board without consulting them, especially when the league is already struggling financially. They insist that they should have been involved before the sponsorship was cancelled.

Due to all these concerns, some shareholders now want the CEO position removed completely from the Botswana Football League structure. They propose replacing it with a General Manager position, which they believe will be more effective and easier to hold accountable.

The league has also struggled to secure new sponsorships since the current leadership took office. Shareholders say they expected the Top 8 tournament to return this season, but that now seems unlikely because no sponsor has been secured. They feel the league office has failed to market the league strongly enough to attract corporate partners.

On Tuesday, the league shareholders held a meeting to discuss several issues. These included the operational and financial challenges facing the league, the possible removal of the CEO position from the BFL organogram, and replacing it with a General Manager. They also discussed reviewing the league’s budget and cutting down on expenses to save costs.

Another topic discussed was the salary structure at the BFL. Shareholders believe the office is spending too much on salaries while the league is struggling to pay clubs and cover match operations. They proposed new cost-saving measures and a review of how the league uses its money.

The income distribution from sponsorships was also a major point of discussion. Clubs want a bigger share of sponsorship money because they feel they are the ones keeping the league alive. They say without clubs, there is no league, and therefore they deserve a fairer share of the funds.

For now, the future of the CEO and the board remains uncertain. But what is clear is that the relationship between the league office and the shareholders is at its lowest point, and major changes may soon happen.

Botswana’s agriculture sector is inching back to stability as commercial farmers in Pandamatenga resume ploughing after a brief standstill triggered by delayed government payments. The restart follows partial settlement of long-overdue debts, a move authorities hope will steady confidence ahead of the next planting cycle.

Ryan Neil, Vice Chair of the Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association, confirmed that the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, working with CEDA and NDB, has secured P206 million to offset part of the P271 million owed. The remaining P65 million, he said, is expected to follow. Farmers owed less than P1 million have now been paid in full, while those owed more have received seventy-four percent of their dues.

While Pandamatenga shows signs of recovery, pressure is building elsewhere. The national grain farmers’ association has issued a stark warning, saying the state and BAMB must immediately settle between P260 million and P300 million owed for grain delivered since April. Farmers have supplied roughly 120,000 tonnes of crops this year, including more than 80,000 tonnes of sorghum, yet many remain unpaid as the rains arrive. The association cautioned that the sector is at risk of a historic production halt, with farmers surviving on overdrafts priced as high as Prime plus nine percent.

Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture Edwin Dikoloti told Parliament the government is working urgently to resolve the arrears. On December 5, government allocated P206 million to BAMB for the 2025 harvest payments, with some disbursements already reaching farmers.

For now, fields in Pandamatenga are turning once more, but the sector’s resilience remains under strain.

On the 2nd and 3rd May 2026, less than five months from today, the world’s best track athletes will be in Gaborone to compete in the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26.

The relays, which feature teams from various countries, will see twenty-four teams per race, compete across six events. The six events are women’s 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay, Men’s 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m mixed relays.

According to the published calendar, the two-day competition will kick off with the heats of the mixed 4x100m and the mixed 4x400m, and conclude with the women’s and men’s 4x400m finals. Along with the calendar of the event, World Athletics has also launched the ‘road to’ tracking tool, which is meant to ‘help athletes, media and fans follow the qualification process for the global event.’

Unlike any time before, teams will battle for more than just prize monies and titles when they meet in Gaborone. At stake will be an opportunity for teams in some events to qualify for the inaugural 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship, World Athletics’ first mega-rich competition with a US$10 million prize pot.

‘There are qualification opportunities on both days of competition in Gaborone. Six teams in both the mixed 4x100m and mixed 4x400m in Gaborone will qualify for the 2026 Ultimate Championship, while 12 teams in every event in Gaborone will qualify for the 2027 World Championships.’

‘On day one, eight teams in each of the six relay events will qualify for Beijing through qualification round one. These teams will then contest the final to compete for World Relays titles and prize money. Another four teams in each of the six events will secure their spots for Beijing through qualification round two on day two. The second day of competition will also see six teams in each of the two mixed relay events qualify for Budapest,’ World Athletics says in a statement.

With so much at stake, World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 Local Organising Committee (LOC) is pulling all stops to make the competition a success. ‘Preparations are at an advanced stage. We are now ready to welcome teams to Botswana,’ World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 chief executive officer (CEO) Moses Bantsi says.

Though collaborations with stakeholders, the LOC has already ensured accommodation is available for teams and officials. The same applies to issues of security, with Bantsi adamant that the country will deliver a safe world class event.

The World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 CEO says they expect the event’s tickets to go on sale early in January. ‘If it had been according to our plan, the tickets would be on sale now. But we are talking here of an international event and due diligence is needed. We have to make sure we have a smooth ticketing system where everyone will know where they are sitting. We do not want to have a situation where people are allocated the same seat.’

For locals who would want to watch the world’s best track athletes live, buying tickets as soon as they go on sale is a necessity. As this will be an international event, there will be no ticket allocation reserved for locals, meaning they will have to fight for tickets with other spectators across the world.

While preparations are at an advanced stage, organisers are however still sweating over sponsorships. Bantsi says the organisers are still miles away from meeting their budgetary needs for the event.

So far, only three sponsors have come on board. The three are Halfway Toyota for transport, Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) for connectivity and Diamond College, who will be the event’s medal sponsors.

‘We have sent proposals to various potential sponsors and negotiations are ongoing. Some have promised to get back to us. We are very hopeful other sponsors will come on board,’ Bantsi says.

On Friday, the acting Minister of Sport and Arts (MOSA) Lawerence Ookeditse bid farewell to a team he dubbed ‘the country’s crown jewels’ as it prepared to jet off to Angola to compete at the 4th African Youth Games (AYG).

The team, made of athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 years, will test its development against agemates from 53 other African countries in a competition running from the 10th to the 20th of December 2025.

Addressing the athletes, Ookeditse said there is no pressure on them. He encouraged them to go out, have fun and make friends. Whilst doing that, they also had to give all their best, understanding the games mark the start of their sporting careers.

‘Your participation in these games is not an end in itself, but it is a powerful beginning as we are building athletes, who will soon be ready for the youth Olympic Games and ultimately the Olympic Games, with Los Angeles 2028 fast approaching. And you, as youngsters, are not merely representing us today, you are shaping the future for all of us.’

The acting minister said over the years, Botswana had established herself as a formidable sporting nation. He pointed that the country has had generations of extraordinary performers, in the likes of Amantle Montsho, Isaac Makwala, Nijel Amos and lately Letsile Tebogo, Collen Kebinatshipi and many others, who he compelled them to look up to for inspiration.

‘All of these people were you at some point. They are not coming from somewhere different. They are superstars, let us appreciate that. But in terms of where they come from, they are nothing special. They are like you and I. We are the same, and that says to you that you could do better than what those superstars have done.’

‘We are not going to put you under pressure. You are going to enjoy yourselves, but at the back of your minds know that you could be the next big thing. That you are already here says you are among the top 2 percent of the athletes in your age category in our country. So, it says to you that your future is bright in this regard,’ Ookeditse said.

While encouraging to put effort in sport, he cautioned them to not forsake their education. He advised them to balance between school and sport, and equally put effort on both.

‘You can excel in sport, and still do very well in whatever you pursue in your academic life. So, it should not be that to be a good athlete replaces your being good with your books.’

While there will be ‘no pressure or medal expectations’ placed on them, the games will however be of crucial importance for the athletes and the country. The games will serve as qualifiers for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Botswana’s AYG team heading to Angola is composed of athletes from fourteen (14) sporting codes, being athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, fencing, horse (equestrian), judo, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and weightlifting.