The Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) is winding down its hunt for a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The local sporting mother body is expected to name its new CEO this coming month (February). The position fell vacant in August 2013 when the then CEO, Percy Raditladi, quit his post due to ‘ill health.’ Ever since then, the BNSC has been headed by acting CEO in the form of its own Business Development Manager, Thato Kgosimore.
According to the BNSC Chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng, interviews for the vacant post were conducted last week Thursday and the hiring processes are expected to be finalised very soon. Speaking in an interview, the BNSC Chairperson said after a long hunt for its next CEO, the sporting mother body had now identified possible candidates to take over. The BNSC Chairperson however refused to shed light on the names of the prospective candidates as the interviewing processes are ongoing. While a private company has been roped in to help with the recruitment processes, Reikeletseng said the BNSC has already outlined the qualities and qualifications for its next CEO. “What we need is an all rounder. We need someone who will spearhead the transition of the BNSC as the council enters an era of change and transition. We need someone who is very qualified in Change Management,” the BNSC Chairperson said.
He said with the Sports Act entering its final phase of being endorsed by the Botswana Government, the BNSC needs someone who can spearhead in the new direction its heading into. “When we hired Raditladi, his mandate was to commercialise the BNSC. We wanted him to put in place structures to help push the BNSC towards financial independence,” Reikeletseng said.
As was his mandate, Reikeletseng said Raditladi had managed to put the required structures in place and ‘they are working.’ “As you may be aware, the new sports act has passed through parliament and is set to be signed into an act by the president. Once that is done, the BNSC will then transform into the Botswana Sports and Recreation Commission. The structures of the BNSC will therefore have to be dissolved and be streamlined to conform to the new body and the person who takes over as the CEO will have to oversee this change,” the BNSC Chairperson explained.
According to Reikeletseng, the incoming CEO will have a very difficult and challenging time ahead of him, thus the need for him or her to be adept at change management. With the transformation processes of the BNSC expected to start in earnest this coming April and expected to conclude at the end of 2015, the BNSC Chairperson said the new CEO will have to hit the ground running. Despite the BNSC Chairperson refusing to divulge names, it is widely rumoured that acting CEO Kgosimore’s name is among those in the hat for the vacant post.
