08 Aug 2016

A plot to deny the incumbent Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tebego Sebego’s go for a second term in office and Tariq Babitseng to vie for the second vice president post hit a snag after the Elections Appeal Committee dismissed the complaint by Eatametse Olopeng on Friday.
In his appeal, former Debswana First Division North chairperson, Olopeng complained that Sebego as a president of BFA acted illegally, immorally and unethically by maintaining a relations of a sporting nature with Babitseng.
He said Article 44.3 of BFA constitution stipulates that the candidate for the position of president shall not maintain any relations of a sporting nature with members that had been suspended or expelled. In his affidavit, Olopeng further said the objective of the BFA was to promote integrity, ethics and fair play with a view to preventing all methods or practices giving rise to abuse of association.Also, he submitted that Sebego authored a document purporting to be acting on authority of BFA National Executive Committee by instigation the chairperson of Botswana Premier League Committee, Rapula Okaile to enter appearance on behalf of the BFA at the Industrial Court.
He said Sebego knew the document was false, and it violated BFA constitution and FIFA Code of Ethics, which forbid conduct that damages the integrity of football through immoral and unethical behaviour such as falsification of documents or mandate.
In his submission about Babitseng, Olopeng said on July 6, last year, BFA NEC expelled Babitseng with immediate effect on account of dereliction of duty and failure to properly handle, use and account for the contingency of funds, which was in his custody as head of delegation of the Zebras to Guinea Bissau.
He said the unethical and immoral behaviour by Babitseng was further cemented by a letter authored by the then acting Botswana National Chief Executive Officer, Thato Kgosimore.
“The import of the letter is that USD 7257. 93 was not accounted for after the Guinea Bissau, Botswana game which contingency fund was in the custody of Babitseng,” he said.
Responding, Sebego said Olopeng accuses him of contravening Article 44.3 adding that Olopeng deliberately confuses the definition of a member with that of an official. “The definition attributed by Olopeng, being a member is flawed and hence this ground must fall as unmerited, and for the benefit of the record, I do not maintain any sporting relations with Babitseng although this is irrelevant for purposes of Article 44.3,”he said.
He argued that Olopeng had not aligned his appeal to the qualification criteria stipulated at Article 44 of the constitution, therefore that disqualifies his appeal straight away because it had no bearing on the criteria used for the office of the president.
Sebego further said it was clear that the accusation that was levelled against him was a creative attempt to bring a disciplinary allegation, but the backdoor in a forum meant for a different purpose.In his response, Babitseng said on the onset Olopeng had failed to point out any particular clause that bars him from standing as a candidate. “I have perused the Botswana Football Association constitution along with the related rules and regulation and I have not come across any clause that bars me from contesting the elections,” he said.
Making the ruling, Election Appeal Committee said there was no evidence that Sebego did associate with any suspended or expelled members, adding members in this respect refers to legal person and not natural person. The matter was before Professor Bojosi Otlhogile, Maduo Maoto and Patricia Mmoloke. ENDS