18 Aug 2020

Botswana Football Association (BFA) has postponed an elective general assembly that was billed for Francistown.

A press release from BFA indicates that the postponement comes after the association’s engagement with the Presidential COVID-19 Task Force Team.

“The aforementioned is as a consequence of the current progression of the pandemic.  We have been informed that under the prevailing conditions, it is not permissible to move across zones in pursuant to attending meetings,” says the release.

However, Sunday Standard sports editor, Botlhale Koothopile said looking at the health protocols coupled with recent spike in new cases, the postponement was expected.

He said moving people out of the red zone into a green zone would have been risky.

“However, the postponement is not good for both the association and the candidates.It means the association will have to wait even a longer period to get funding and or/ COVID 19 relief funds from FIFA since FIFA has taken a stance not to disburse monies to associations going to elections,” he said.

Furthermore, Koothopile said BFA relied heavily on funding from FIFA to augment government grants.

For the contestants, he said, the postponement meant that they would have to sustain a prolonged campaign.

“This will drain them both financially and physically. Given how toxic the football environment is on election year, this is more likely to negatively affect their campaigns,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s freelance journalist, Tatenda Gondo, said in an interview that recently, Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) cancelled track and field competition eight days prior to kick off due to a two-week lockdown in Greater Gaborone.

“Reason why I am bringing this up is because Botswana Football Association decided to announce the postponement of a major ordinary general assembly four days prior to the important general assembly”. This, she said, was suspicious especially after presidential candidates; Tebogo Sebego and Ookeditse Malesu were once vetted out. However, they were later cleared to contest.

Gondo said she was cognisant of the fact that FIFA had said it was in support of the postponement of elections until the national situation was more favorable to host elections.

“We are here in 2020 and allowing a constitution to be breached because government regulations are against a gathering of more than 50. We have zoom, blue jeans and skype, which are able to help us host ordinary general assembly virtually,” she said.

Furthermore, Gondo argued that even FIFA would be hosting its first virtual congress in September, adding that she was wondering as to what stopped FIFA from advising BFA to take the same route.

“Let me say constitution will lose its importance, if there is no redress for the plea that they cannot be held accountable for breach of such rights.” ENDs