30 Nov 2014

Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) has retained veteran sport administrator, Segolame Ramotlhwa as the chairperson of Botswana Sports Volunteers Movement (SVM).

The decision was announced on November 29 during the SVM elective annual general meeting at Oasis Motel in Tlokweng. According to the SVM constitution, the position of the chairperson is elected by the BNSC executive committee as the movement is a structure within BNSC.

The meeting elevated the former treasurer Hurry Koata to the position of vice chairperson while Curdley Mukwati and Thabo Osekeng retained their positions as secretary and public relations officer respectively.

The position of the treasurer was not filled as none of the members showed interest to serve in it, while Tefo Mbaiwa and Isaiah Gabobowe were elected additional members for the sport volunteer movement.

Earlier, when addressing the delegates, Ramotlhwa asked members not to be derailed by the elections and encouraged them to elect people who were capable to be office bears. “SVM is established to serve codes, we exist because of codes. We must keep politics out of SVM,” he added.

He said if members could resort to jostle for positions, the movement would suffer and fail to achieve its mandate. “You do not have to be in the executive committee to make a contribution,” said Ramotlhwa.

Further, he encouraged SVM members to continue to volunteer their services in the sporting arena. The movement, he added has not made a lot of progress with regard to implementing their 2028 strategy due to shortage of resources such as human capital and lack of funding.

“Now that we have a strategy, we need to go to the regions so that they can cascade the strategy,” adding that regions are the backbone of SVM to attain its mandate and goals.

Also, Ramotlhwa said their strategy is aligned to that of BNSC which seeks to drive Botswana towards a sport of excellence and prosperity by 2028.
“Therefore, it is important that whatever we do we align with BNSC strategy,” Ramotlhwa added.

For his part, Mukwati said one of the challenges facing SVM was late receipt of invitations hence they fail to communicate with members.  “This does not give us an opportunity to source our best volunteers,” he said. ENDS