The stand-off between government and chief organizer of the maiden Botswana Golden Grand Prix, Glody Dube’s is being addressed – it appears.
Dube threatened to resign from the Local Organising Committee (LOC) because government was refusing to give him leave to concentrate on preparing for the event. According to organisers, Dube was called for a meeting by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC), Kitso Kemoeng.
According to information reaching this publication, the PS was not happy that Dube approached the media before exhausting all available options. “Kemoeng called him to hear his frustrations and also to help him get leave because he knows the magnitude of work needed to be done for the event to be successful because he has experience of organising international sporting events,” a source told this publication.
The Botswana Golden Grand Prix is one of the only two biggest World Athletics’ sanctioned events in the African continent and the only one of such magnitude in Southern Africa. Because of its status, even World Athletics had allegedly requested that Dube should be excused from work to concentrate on its delivery, a request which has since been rejected by government authorities.
Dube was expected to meet the Botswana National Sport Commission Chief executive Officer, Tuelo Serufho on Monday to tender his resignation from Local Organising Committee (LOC). He did not meet Serufho because already Kemoeng was on top of the matter to resolve the issue.
Should Dube resign from the (LOC), there are fears that Botswana will be stripped of its host status.
Kemoeng is expected to offer a truce between government and Dube and support him to deliver the sought after Golden Grand Prix. “Once Dube is given leave, more work can be done expeditiously. The ambitious Dube wants to bring a faultless athletics event to win the hearts and souls of the world Athletics governing body, IAAF to stage future events.
Dube applied for normal leave but was denied such. He also applied for unpaid leave which was also denied. Dube was quoted as saying: “Just this past week, Geoffrey Gare and Pinkie Wilson came to Modipane Primary where the principal (head teacher) bagged them to help me get leave; only for them to deliver the news that my request has yet again been denied. I am frustrated as I have to juggle teaching and organizing this event from classroom. I have even failed to honour meetings with prospective sponsors. When they want to meet, I am in class yet I am expected to deliver a world class event,” he said. The Golden Grand Prix is scheduled for the 29th April.