20 May 2013

Some members of the Francistown Regional Football Association (FRAFA) executive committee have tendered their resignation letters to Botswana Football Association (BFA).

At a meeting held in Francistown on Saturday, the outgoing chairperson Jonas Ikgopoleng said five of the seven-member executive committee had tendered their resignation letters to the BFA. He explained that this came about as they were protesting the verdict taken by the BFA Disciplinary Committee (DC) regarding the Francistown division one side Eagles FC.

Ikgopoleng said FRAFA had ordered Eagles and Blue Birds FC of Tonota to play a deciding game at a neutral ground to determine a team that would play in the First Division North play-offs scheduled for Serowe.

Blue Birds had qualified with soft points, which they were awarded after Eagles was fined for disrupting their game against Blue Birds away in Tonota and at another game in Mathangwane against Peace Lovers.

He therefore said the reversal of the decision by the BFA DC, which stated that Blue Birds should be substituted with Eagles at the play-offs, was unconstitutional because FRAFA had charged Eagles according to the constitution, which governed the football fraternity.

The former chairperson also stated that they did not accept sentiments that people who charged Eagles at the region used emotions as they belonged to certain teams and upon charging the team, they did not declare their interest.

He said this indicated that although they were selected by the general assembly as an executive committee, they were not recognised as the BFA DC nullified the league. Ikgopoleng said as such, they had given the BFA five working days to do the handing over and it would be until then that they would call a press conference to give a full detailed report regarding their resignations.

Among the members that resigned was Ikgopoleng, vice chairperson Lenyeletse Tamocha, secretary, Babuluki Bajiti and the treasurer, Fanyana Fish as well as the additional member Obvious Moyo.

The remaining FRAFA committee members are Mary Tlhabakanaka and Maria Gaolefufa.ENDS