It is all going ‘wonky’ for the Mmetla Masire led Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) Executive Committee. A ‘biff’ within his committee is threatening to end his third and final term a year ahead of designated time.
A year after the first signs of discord showed within the committee, three members of the executive are now alleged to have resigned. Their resignations were allegedly sent to Masire this past Sunday, a day after the failed BCA annual general meeting which was scheduled for Saturday September 18th 2021.
According to sources, the BCA president has already acknowledged receiving the said letters of resignation, albeit with some regret that the members ‘did not have a one on one with him before resigning.’
What is now left to be seen is whether the BCA president and his committee will dissolve as per article 15.5.1 of the BCA constitution and give way for a new committee to be elected.
According to the said article, ‘in the event three (3) or more of the members are removed/resign from the office, the Executive Committee shall dissolve.’ Article 15.5.2 then says, ‘the remaining members shall within 20 days of the date of the last removal convene a Special General Meeting to elect a new Executive Committee.’
Reached out for clarification, BCA Secretary General Tlamelo Dube confirmed the ‘unfortunate development.’ Dube however said out of respect for the members who resigned, he could not comment on their reasons for resignation but would rather have them represent themselves.
While he did not divulge the names of the committee members who have resigned, this publication has it on good authority that the three are BCA vice president Bathusi Molatlhwa, public relations officer (PRO) Game Mompe and additional member Shimane Serameng.
“It is an unfortunate development that has happened,” Dube said in an interview. On the next steps for the BCA going forward, he said “the Constitution will guide on the next step forward.”
Concerning Masire’s involvement in the sport going forward, the BCA Secretary General noted that he (Masire) has not reached his limit as president as of yet. “He still has a lot to offer to the growth of the sport in our country,” he said.
While Dube believes Masire is still not done, it is believed this, being his third consecutive term as BCA president, would have been his last term in office as per the BCA constitution.
Under article 15.2.6 of the BCA constitution, ‘a member shall not be in office for three (3) consecutive terms. For the avoidance of doubt, a member who has served three (3) consecutive terms shall only be eligible for election into office after the expiry of three (3) years post the expiry of the three (3) consecutive terms.’
Should Masire’s tenure end before the designated time, it will be an anti-climax for a man who when voted for his second term in 2016, had vowed to turn the association into a better union.
In fact, he will be leaving the association disjointed and in need of healing as members in the executive and at club level are divided with many questioning the allegedly skewed decisions taken by three members of the executive at the expense of the other members.
Asked whether the resignations had anything to do with the unresolved matters from 2020 which the committee had been ordered to resolve by the affiliates, Dube replied in the negative, ‘saying the matter was sorted out as directed by the GA and approved through round robin.’
On why the BCA failed to hold its AGM this past weekend, the Secretary General stated that ‘members did not form a quorum as per the Constitution and the AGM was postponed accordingly.’ He said members ‘could not make it for various reasons.’
