After long delays, government will soon construct a mini-stadium in Kanye village in an effort to facilitate sport development in the country, Parliament has been told. Responding to a question from Kanye North MP, Thapelo Letsholo, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Tumiso Rakgare said the Kanye is part of the 10 localities identified for the development of mini-stadia.
Letsholo has asked Rakgare to update Parliament on the construction of the long promised Kanye Stadium, to state the scope of the stadium and key delivery dates, and what influenced the decision to build a mini-stadium instead of a sport complex as in other major villages in Botswana. He also wanted the minister to explain what has been the cause for the delays.
Rakgare said during NDP 8, government had plans to build sport complexes in district headquarters across the country. “Such facilities were built in Molepolole, Maun, Serowe and Masunga. Other such facilities, including the one planned for Kanye were deferred indefinitely due to financial constraints,” said Rakgare, adding that the project to develop sport complexes was later discontinued due to budget constraints.
“Their (sport complexes) maintenance has also proven to be very high. The option of developing mini-stadia is less costly, provides basic sport facilities and has low maintenance costs,” he said.
To replace sport complexes, in 2018 government took a decision to develop 10 mini-stadia to improve access to facilities across the country. The mini-stadia will include a boundary wall, kiosks, changing rooms, ablution facilities and a pitch with artificial turf. “It is expected that the project will be complete by end of the next calendar year,”said Rakgare, indicating that the development of the Kanye stadium was delayed due the unavailability of land.
“A plot has since been made available, and we hope the project will now take off,” said Rakgare.