The Botswana Dance Sport Association (BODANSA) affiliates have criticised the association’s executive for the association’s declining fortunes.
Responding to BODANSA President Thatayaone Dedede’s State of the Association address during the association’s Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) held at Oasis Motel over the weekend, affiliates pointed fingers at the BODANSA executive saying it is dysfunctional.
Taking the floor after the Dedede’s address, several of the association’s affiliates criticised their executive, saying it has failed to carry out its mandate to develop the sport ever since taking over office two years ago. They called upon the executive to stop factionalism amongst themselves and to unite towards a common goal of developing the sport. They said it is time for the association and all those associated with dance sport in the country to do some soul searching to find what really needs to be done to resuscitate the sport.
According to the affiliates, the sport has seen a continual decline in the number of members, both at community level and at school level all due to lack of activity within the association. They say this continued decline of membership across the country will do the sport more harm as it will mean their funds allocation from the Botswana National Sports Council will be reduced, something which will mean even lesser activities for dance sport.
“We used to have clubs in various parts of the country, but at this moment, the only active clubs we have are in Gaborone and Selibe Phikwe, others, though existent, are dead,” said one of the affiliates. Speaking on condition of anonymity on the sidelines of the OGM, some of the affiliates told The Telegraph that the BODANSA executive spent more money on retreats as well as meetings at the expense of competitions, workshops and coaching clinics, something which they say is the main reason why the sport is losing so many members.
“Why should people bother train or be affiliated to the sport when there are no activities to attend? This year alone, we have had only two activities, the competition which was held in January and the Training of Trainers’ Course. This lack of activities, more especially competitions, has killed the sport in schools as students opt to ditch dance for other sporting codes that can give them more activity,” one of the affiliates opined.
Earlier, while addressing the OGM, BODANSA President, Dedede, admitted that BODANSA had failed but pointed out that the reason for the failure could be traced to infighting amongst the dancing community. “Bagaetsho, we come a long way and yet we are still to show our track record. We still administer our sport on voluntary basis, alliance and most of all back stabbing culture,” Dedede said in his address to affiliates. He says this very same culture has led to some positions within the committee being vacant when committee members resign as some people have turned down being co-opted into the committee due to their alliances.
“I have witnessed these unpalatable values even in my current executive and not surprisingly so because this is the executive elected under the same culture,” Dedede said. “…this is where I derive my conclusion that one of the values we thrive in is alliance because if indeed people had the best interest of sport at heart, it would have not mattered who they collaborated with to contribute but because their alliance was not per their own recognition or approval, they would rather remain crucifiers of my administration than assisting to improve the situation,” the BODANSA President said in his pre-emptive address to affiliates.
On the issue of competitions, the BODANSA President said the failure to hold competitions has largely been due to lack of funds by the association.
He says his administration is trying hard to ensure that a suitable environment is created to attract sponsors for competitions through the creation of a competition policy which will see to it that companies make agreements to sponsor BODANSA competitions for longer periods. The OGM, which was to look at the association’s achievements and to map a way forward, paves way for the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will be held sometime in March next year.
