22 Jul 2014

After a prolonged debate, the Botswana National Sport Commission Bill finally passed the committee stage and was read for the third time in Parliament on Thursday (July 17) afternoon.


From its 45 clauses, 12 amendments were presented at the committee stage and at the end of Parliament business, three amendments noticed by Shoshong Member of Parliament, who is also chairperson of the Committee on Youth, Art, Sport and Culture Mr Dikgang Makgalemele were opposed while one clause by Mr Nehemiah Modubule was withdrawn .

The rest of the amendments as presented by the Acting Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture Mr Vincent Seretse was the introduction of new definitions to existing clauses and consequential approval of numbering in some sub-clauses. The acting minister conceded to Mr Modubule’s amendment that clause 18(c) be deleted from the draft bill.

 The initial subsection which deals with validity of decisions and acts of Board, read “a decision or acts of the board done under the authority of this Act shall not be invalid by reason of the fact that the Board was not properly constituted.”

The minister did not agree with Mr Modubule at first and told the House that he had discussed with the Attorney Generals chamber and the advice was not to delete the sub-clause because it was on itself a provision in the country’s laws preventing invalidity decision of the Board.


Parliament also turned down an amendment by Mr Modubule who had asked that clause 20 which spelt out that a person shall not be appointed chief executive officer he or she does not possess such experience and training in such discipline as the minister may determine.

Mr Modubule had wanted the requirement to be exact and added that a Degree in Sports Administration be a pre-requisite.


The bill was returning to Parliament after being adjourned following a request by Tonota North MP Mr Fidelis Molao that the bill which was then presented by Mr Shaw Kgathi be allowed to be deferred pending further consultation between the minister and the Parliament committee on Youth, Art and culture.


Meanwhile parliament passed without amendments the Botswana Geoscience Institute Bill, an Act to provide for the establishment of the Botswana Geoscience Institute for the purpose of undertaking research in the field of geosciences and providing specialised geoscietific services.
 ENDS