THE Minister of Gender, Youth, Sport and Recreation Likeleli Tampane announced in the National Assembly that her ministry is on the verge of completing a national sports policy - the first time in the country’s sports history.
sports
April 16, 2021
TEBOHO JAFETA
3 min read
Minister to launch Sports Policy
The Setsoto Stadium in Maseru
This she said when proposing a budget totaling M67 742 109 million for her ministry on Friday.
“The ministry will use this money to facilitate the completion of the Sports Policy which for many years failed to be enacted. We will also support the newly introduced National University of Lesotho (NUL) sports programme Physical Education to be offered in the coming academic year,” she noted.
Tampane said the NUL programme is envisaged to benefit many regardless of their educational background, adding that this will go a long way towards sports development in the country.
The ministry she further said will also introduce anti-doping educational campaigns to ensure that players remain drugs-free. She also mentioned that she will work hard to privatize the Rapokolana High Altitude Training Centre as well as the Leshoboro Seeiso Sports Arena and the Setsoto Stadium facilities.
“We are to host the African Union Sports Council AUSC Region 5 games in December but the challenge is lack of finance. We will seek the money to ensure that these games are held smoothly,” she said.
The AUSC Region 5 Games have been allocated M280 million which is meant to renovate the sports facilities ahead of the games.
“We expected to collect M563 700 during the past financial year but only managed to gather M4 000. Our streams of income are ’Matheko Vocational Training Centre which closed operations for a year with no students attending. The ministry also receives income from the Setsoto Stadium which never hosted sports,” Tampane showed.
The ministry she said spent the money allocated in the past financial year to support Likuena in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers matches against Benin, Nigeria and Sierra Leone as well as sponsoring Bantu FC in Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League competition.
MP Nyapane Kaya pleaded that sports matters be improved from the current state.
“We do not have money to sponsor sports, they are being sponsored by private companies. Big companies which operate in both Lesotho and South Africa sponsor sports in South Africa but here they do not.’
He added that there should be a binding law that will force companies to sponsor sports.
Enjoy our daily newsletter from today
Access exclusive newsletters, along with previews of new media releases.
“If these companies have a certain investment in Lesotho, a certain percentage should go to sports,” Kaya said.
Lesego Makgothi expressed his gratitude that the Rapokolana High Altitude Training Centre and other sports facilities will now be under private management, adding that this means they will be readily available for use at all times.
In a separate interview with Metro, the ministry’s Chief Information Officer Maqalika Matsepe confirmed that the ministry is about to complete the policy, adding that they are at the final stage as it has already passed through stakeholders.
He said the ministry has started the progress to privatize Rapokolana, Setsoto and Leshoboro Stadium as the minister planned upon her arrival in office.
“The process has started, we are already preparing the tender documents for Leshoboro and Rapokolana. We faced a challenge with Setsoto as it will be used for the upcoming AUSC Games, so we had to withhold it until then.”
Tailored for you
