Four athletes challenging positive test results face another wait after their High Court hearing was scheduled for 9 March 2027.
BONGANI MALUNGA
Four Botswana athletes challenging positive doping test results face another lengthy wait after their High Court case was moved to 9 March 2027. The hearing will take place more than a year after the matter was initially brought before the courts on an urgent basis.
PROCEDURAL DISPUTES
Refilwe Murangi, Karabo Mothibi, Lydia Jele and Zibani Ngozi are pursuing the case against the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) and the National Anti Doping Office (NADO). Procedural disputes have prolonged their challenge, leaving them facing nearly five more months of uncertainty.
The athletes approached the Gaborone High Court in February 2026 over concerns about the authenticity of their positive test results and the procedures followed. The case first came before Justice Itumeleng Segopolo on 19 February, with several institutions initially cited as respondents before proceedings were narrowed to BNOC and NADO.
URGENCY REMOVED
The matter’s urgent status was removed on 2 March following an application by the athletes’ lawyer, Dr Tshepang Makwati, to allow more time to address outstanding issues. The dispute partly concerned access to the Anti Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS), which contains information relating to doping tests.
The case returned for a status hearing on 20 April, but technical difficulties in creating the athletes’ ADAMS login credentials prevented progress. The court directed the parties to establish a timetable for resolving the outstanding issues.
FURTHER DELAYS
The matter failed to proceed on 1 June after administrative issues resulted in its omission from the court roll. The scheduling confusion prompted an emergency court session, during which Justice Segopolo confirmed 10 August as the next hearing date and directed both legal teams to clarify disputes over the production of documents.
The case has remained unresolved despite those earlier proceedings. The next hearing is now scheduled for March next year, extending the athletes’ wait for their challenge to be heard.
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