21 Jul 2016

 Crisis engulfing football took a new twist on Wednesday when Botswana Football Association’s (BFA) National Executive Committee (NEC) slapped Botswana Premier League (BPL) board with suspension over alleged acts of misconduct.

BFA president, Tebogo Sebego, announced in a press conference that the BPL board will remain suspended until the BFA general assembly on July 30. 

Suspension of the board, he said, was compelled by “a series of concerns and what in the view of NEC has been a series of acts of misconduct by the BPL board”.

Following the alleged acts of misconduct, Sebego said the BFA leadership decided to invoke article 38.12 of BFA Constitution and suspended the board led by Gaborone United chairman, Rapula Okaile.

NEC advanced eight reasons for its decision. These reasons included activities of the board meeting of March 26, 2016 that resolved to suspend BPL chief executive officer, Bennett Mamelodi and former board chairman, Walter Kgabung and his vice-chairman, Solomon Mantswe.

The second reason was the decision of the board to condone a match between Jwaneng Galaxy and Mochudi Centre Chiefs on May 7 against wishes of the sponsor.

After that match in Jwaneng, Chiefs were crowned league champions, despite a pending case involving registration of Township Rollers midfielder, Ofentse Nato.

NEC said the third reason for suspension was the letter allegedly written by the board urging Botswana National Sports Council to interfere with a match that had been lawfully fixtured. This match referred to the premier league playoff between Rollers and Chiefs, which was postponed at the eleventh hour by BNSC.

Other reasons included the board’s refusal to reinstate Mamelodi and another BPL officer Mogolo Sekgwa, continued and unlawful interference with league sponsors Botswana Telecommunications Corporation Limited, continued engagement with BNSC by the board on issues that should be addressed with BFA, taking the BFA to courts of law over a resolution made by NEC over a court case involving Mamelodi and alleged continued derogatory statements made by the board on NEC and its activities.

NEC said it would take charge of BPL activities during the period of the board’s suspension. ENDS