The 2020 Botswana Football Association (BFA) national executive committee (NEC) elections have been nothing but divisive.
Politricks were the order of the day as the three campaigns vied for the affection of the voting delegates.
One thing that is clear is that, sweet or bitter, revenge has been an embodied foundation for Tebogo Sebego and Maclean Letshwiti.
According to Kagiso Rantswaneng, football commentator and analyst says it is always the case that leading to elections, there will be friction which ends up dividing people.
He however opines that the history of the acrimony between Sebego and Letshwiti has been the major plot in the BFA elections power play.
Rantswaneng says this year’s elections have been driven by the unspoken yet palpable hostilities between the two, with their loudness silencing Ookeditse Malesu who was just a CEO under Letshwiti.
He says while Malesu does not have much of an experience in leading football, he has a story to tell but unfortunately no one is out there to listen to him.
“Between Sebego and Letswhiti it is all about power and aura. At times, it is about revenge,” he opines.
He says in the aftermath of the elections, realization will strike that ‘voting has not been done on merit or credibility, but rather on sympathy.
“For those who do not want to be placed in the mud of Sebego and Letshwiti’s battle, they sure voted for Malesu because these elections were on individual basis on who has power and prestige. And because of this the electoral board has to review this election going forward,” he says.
Concerning both Sebego and Letshwiti, Rantswaneng says they failed to leave a legacy during their four years in the seat.
He says neither of the two accomplished what they had set out to do and questions will abound whether they can make anything different happen this coming four years.
To show that indeed these elections were based on individually, Rantswaneng highlighted that Sebego and Malesu surprisingly secured sponsors before even knowing the outcome of results; but during Letshwiti’s reign from 2016 to 2020, so many issues rose concerning sponsorship. He failed to secure sponsors while the once which he found fall off. Football in Botswana is currently not worthy of being sold to sponsors adding that no company would want to be associated with such a crippled sport.
As for Sebego and Malesu, the sponsors they secured come on board not because of buying football but they come for the persona. Was our football without value when sponsors left? One can ask.
Even though it seems like Sebego and Letshwiti have locked horns against each other, Rantswaneng indicated that the two can heal their tension depending on their attitude toward each other now.
Adding that since both of them have not left any legacy previously, it is high time they mature and leave ‘self’ out of the equation and focus on football and football alone.
Despite the events that took place between Sebego and Letshwiti, football analyst Jimmy George said the animosity that is going on is just for now.
He believes that the division between the two has nothing to do with solid hatred but a different look at things.
“Sebego and Letshwiti have similar yet different opinions about football and how to run it,” he says.
“They are competing, not out for vengeance against each other, but rather to gain power and territory.
He says that as time goes on, he expects the two to heal their divisions and probably mend whatever there is to mend between them.
George however does not buy into the notion there is any animosity between the two says as people grow they develop different aspirations and passion and but does not mean they are in a revenge mood.
