Duo attends Young Chef Olympiad

Botswana’s next big thing when it comes to the culinary industry, Chef Boago Amantle David and her mentor, Chef Bae aka Chef Melissah Kushata Ngoni are departing Gaborone this week. The amazing duo are heading to India, for this year’s edition of the Young Chef Olympiad.

This will be the third time that Botswana is sending a representative, having previously sent Chef Ookeditse Setlalekgosi in 2018, who was accompanied by Chef Melissah, and Chef Mokgethi, who was also mentored by Chef Melissah. Both Chef Setlalekgosi, Mokgethi and Amantle are products of the Gaborone College of Culinary Arts, where Chef Melissah is a Part time

Lecturer. Chef Mokgethi did very well at the competition in 2020, walking off with the Mentorship award. This is the ninth edition of the International IIHM Young Chef Olympiad, which will see 55 Chefs representing their respective countries at the spectacular event. The event, according to organisers, seeks to achieve one of the United Nations’ goals for sustainable development, with the aim to incubate and promote, art of sustainable hospitability in the lives of people and society. Some of the countries that will take part at the prestigious event include Bangladesh, Switzerland, Azerbeijan, Australia, Armenia, Singapore, Netherlands, Nepal, Malaysia, to mention a few. The judges for the event have a wealth of knowledge in the industry, and they include Director and Co- founder of F& B Consultancy KitchenCut, Chef John Wood, who has 25 years of experience behind him. Second up, is Paul Jervis, Head of School for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Westmeister Kingsway College. And last up is Chef Rakesh Sethi, who is the Corporate Executive Chef of the Radisson Hotel Group in India.

The first leg of the competition begins on January 29th, and over the course of the competition, the Chefs will undergo a series of rounds where they will showcase their skills in the kitchen. It will take place across five IIHM City Campuses in Delhi, Goa, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune.

Speaking in an interview with this publication, the Head of the Gaborone College of Culinary Arts, Chef

Monana explains that she came across the competition in 2017, reached out to the organisers, and sent their first representative the following year. She also explains that one of the cores of the college, is to seek opportunities for the students, and give them exposure to the international landscape. She also says that this year, the organisers reached out to them offering a place in the competition. Chef Amantle, she says, was selected after she sailed through a number of challenges. “We wanted a student who had shown interest, and they went through a selection process such as vegetable carts which was round 1,” she notes.

She also points out that Chef Amantle has the right attitude and drive, and that she does not give up easily. She further points out that for this kind of competition, it can be draining but that Amantle has the right attitude to soldier on, and sail through any obstacle. “She is passionate, resilient and very creative,” she points out. Meanwhile, Chef Monana points out that the school was established in 2014, on the backdrop of realising that not everyone can afford the high fees of studying outside the country. The school, is best known for offering hospitality and tourism qualification in disciplines that include Sanitation and Food Security, Basic Baking Skills, Basic Catering Operations, Food Beverages Services, as well as Food Preparations and Cooking. Each year, the school has 60/ 70 graduates, and most of their graduates are employed at the leading hotels in Botswana.

It is alleged that Kebue has been staying rent- free at the club’s apartments and now he is being asked to pay for the months he has been staying at the club, assertions denied by Gaborone United. Orapa United Vice Chairman Themba Mmui however confirmed that Kebue is yet to feature for the club as his former side has refused to issue a clearance certificate which will then complete his transfer.

“His contract with Gaborone United came to an end and we signed him, he was a free agent and now he is our player, we did everything by the book to sign him. We then requested a clearance from his former team for us to complete his signing in the transfer management system, unfortunately they refused to do their part hence his registration is still hanging,” Mmui responded.

In addition, Orapa United Vice Chairman told BG Sport that, the Botswana Football League ( BFL) defending champions wrote to the player and indicated that he must first return their belongings, amongst them, the 2022/ 2023 football season training kit and the keys to the apartment he stayed in.

“They engaged the player and asked him to return some of their items. He received their letter on Thursday after signing and luckily for us, by Friday we had already managed to move the player and he returned all that they needed, including the training kit, just a few days later after registering with us,” he said.

“Despite the fact that we are the ones who asked for the player’s clearance, they did not professionally engage with us, rather they engaged the player,” Mmui added, questioning Gaborone United’s professional conduct.

Furthermore, BG Sport investigations have learned that, towards the end of Kebue’s contract, he started to receive more than the agreed amount on the contract, representatives of the player sort clarity over the issue and they were told the money was a gift.

It now appears that the gift has subsequently turned into a debt following the players’ departure and therefore, he must pay.

“It is alleged that Kebue owes the team, they once gave him some money and now they want it back, initially it was said to be an over payment which was later translated to be a gift to the player.

Notwithstanding that they could be owed by the player, what needed to happen was for them to engage relevant labour authorities to draft a payment plan not to refuse to release his clearance, it is very unfair on Orapa United,” a source close to the player opined.

Orapa United reportedly wrote to Botswana Football Association ( BFA) head of secretariat, Mfolo Edwin Mfolo to seek intervention.

In a meeting held on Tuesday afternoon, Mfolo and Gaborone United bosses could still not agree on a solution and Botswana Footballers’ Union ( FUB) have now been involved as mediation efforts on the issue continues.

“We wrote to the BFA CEO, there is no dispute on who owns the player, but people just don’t want to release the player’s clearance information. The BFA representative did meet with GU officials on Tuesday but there was no breakthrough in their engagements, so we are to meet and decide on the way forward. To be honest this is really frustrating for both the player and the club,” Mmui highlighted.

Gaborone United General Manager, Thapelo Mothusi vehemently dismissed the accusations levelled against the club.

“As far as I know, we’ve given the player and his representative the clearance form, we’ve long done that. He is yet to officially complete the handover of the apartment to us, but that has nothing to do with his clearance,” Mothusi responded.

BG Sport contacted the BFA CEO who confirmed that indeed Orapa United did send a complaint regarding the matter between the two clubs.

“They wrote to us notifying us that GU was refusing to issue the players’ clearance form, On Tuesday we called GU to a meeting just to find out what could be the issue. They revealed that Thato Kebue owes them an amount closer to P14 800. They also indicated that engagements over the matter are ongoing, there is a common understanding that Orapa United will pay the money, according to Gaborone United, but the debt and the clearance matter are two distinct issues,” Mfolo responded.

Mfolo concluded by stating that the two clubs have been urged to engage and resolve their disparities.