Botswana calls on people to contribute money to Olympic gold medal bonus

In a statement on August 12, the Botswana government called for the establishment of a fund for people to "contribute prize money to athletes who win medals." They called it a way for people to honor the athletes.

Tebogo won the men's 200m gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, beating strong American athletes Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles. This was also the first Olympic gold medal in Botswana's history. Tebogo and three other teammates then went on to win the men's 4x400m relay silver medal.

The decision was met with outrage on social media from Botswanans. "It stopped people from celebrating," the BBC article said. "They wondered why the government didn't use tax money to reward them."

The BBC contacted the Botswana Government, but did not receive a confirmation of whether it would contribute to the prize fund.

Despite the opposition, some people still support the bounty fund. A proposal to open the fund so that anyone in the world can deposit money.

Botswana is Africa's largest diamond producer and the world's second-largest after Russia. However, according to Bloomberg, the southern African country's diamond revenues have declined, forcing the government to cut spending.

World Bank data for 2023 shows Botswana has a GDP per capita of $7,249, ranking fifth in Africa. But it also has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are the most successful in Botswana's history. In response to this achievement, President Mokgweetsi Masisi declared a half-day holiday for the whole country on August 13, allowing tens of thousands of people to gather at the national stadium in the capital Gaborone to welcome the Olympic team back.