05 Apr 2018

Former Nhabe Regional Football Association (NRFA) secretary, Kabelo Dikinya has shown interest to trace his roots and contest for chairpersonship in the upcoming regional elections scheduled for May.

Every two years, the association elects a new executive committee to run football affairs in the region.

It has been revealed that two other people have shown interest to battle for the position including the current chairperson, Kgato Motai while Moses Kemofilwe is said to be eyeing the position of vice chairperson under Dikinya’s lobby list.

Kemofilwe is intending to oust the current vice chairperson, Ephraim Dikgwai who is also intending to defend his position.

Dikinya revealed his interest during a press conference when presenting his manifesto which he intends to implement once voted into the executive committee.

He said he made a decision to return to the football fraternity because he was passionate about the sport and also wanted to bring change and take football in the region to greater heights.

He said his mandate was to develop football in the region and ensure that they ran independently with minimal support from the mother body, Botswana Football Association.

Dikinya who is not new to the football fraternity had attended many courses some related to football and believes that he could turn around tables as far as football administration is concerned.

Asked why he resigned from the previous committee, he explained that there was no smooth working relationship in the committee.

He also indicated that the committee did not have a vision, mission and values, hence they failed to deliver up to the expectations of their affiliates and BFA.

“There was a lot of friction amongst members of the committee as it was one man’s show and for the sake of progress and peace, I decided to quit,” he added.

Dikinya said it was a pity that the committee failed to execute its duties effectively, hence there were many challenges amongst the local teams.

He also said there was no transparency, hence the region failed to attract sponsors and indicated his committee will be ready to ensure transparency in the running of regional affairs.

Presenting his mandate, he said if voted into office, his committee’s vision would be to ensure Nhabe region produced quality players and making the league more attractive due to conformity with expectations of BFA.

He explained that their mission statement was to promote state of affairs in the region where by it could sustain itself independently and seeing at least two teams promoted to premier league .

He believe that the region has a lot of talent, hence the need to unearth, develop and nurture it.

He said his committee would also engage the district leadership, business community to solicit support and develop sport together.

He said if voted, his committee intended to fully utilise programmes offered by BFA to assist regions where necessary and also to guide and educate the region affiliates to conform to regulatory bodies in the country.

Dikinya also stated that they wanted to promote transparency in the running of football in the region, development of youth and women football and financial stability in the association and its affiliates.

For his part, Motai said he was still to make a decision on whether to defend his position, adding that whoever wanted to contest was free to do so.

He also dismissed allegation labeled against his chairpersonship by Dikinya stating that there was cooperation within other members of the committee except for the then secretary.

In addition, Motai revealed that Dikinya who was the secretary failed the committee as he was not doing his role as expected.

The committee he said ended up calling him for a hearing and instead of appearing he decided to resign and write to the BFA claiming that he was mistreated and fired.

Motai was adamant that the committee executed its duties perfectly and in a transparent manner. ENDS