30 Oct 2014

Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO) chairperson, Mr Oscar Motsumi says that his organisation is faced with difficulty of running its daily affairs due to limited funds.

Speaking at BOCONGO annual general meeting, Mr Motsumi said BOCONGO was striving to survive in order to meet its daily routine. He noted that as an organisation, they had failed in advocacy as they never voiced out anything in regard to the cases of rampant corruption, extra judicial killings, watershed elections and others.

On one hand, Mr Motsumi said what they were doing as BOCONGO was running contrary to what the organisation advocated for and as such they have realised that there is need for constitutional amendment.

He said the exercise had enabled them to review the constitution to a level they could confidently separate the role of board and management.

On the issue of finance, Mr Motsumi said the new board of directors has inherited a growing deficit as a result of unpaid liabilities that emanated from the past relationship with sponsors like ministry of Health, ministry of Labour and Home Affairs and others.

He said as the board, most of their energies were focused on resolving the outstanding debts and liabilities adding that the Alcohol Project issues with the ministry of Health has been resolved but regrettably, the Subvention Funds with the ministry of Labour has been cut significantly and has left the matters worse off.

Mr Motsumi noted that with inadequate funding to the Secretariat, this rendered them being unable to pay staff terminal benefits and overheads that lead to the organisation having to sell two of their vehicles.

BOCONGO Executive Secretary, Ms Bagaisi Mabilo said some of BOCONCO’s achievements include drafting, review and approval of the gender policy, increase in the gender and HIV/ AIDS mainstreaming activities targeting NGOs, developed and cost resource mobilisation plan, technical gender training for staff and others. ENDS