BY DUNCAN KGANGKENNA
The feud between the suspended First Division North (FDN) league committee members and the Botswana Football Association (BFA) National Executive Committee (NEC) is seemingly far from over.
Following their unceremonious suspension from office, the suspended FDN committee members have since appointed a legal advisor in order ‘to coherently clear their names.’
According to the suspended FDN committee members, they believe their suspensions were influenced by ulterior motives ‘to purge people who are seen to be against the BFA Letshwiti led committee.’
“We are still on discussion stage with our legal advisor and the steps going forward will be determined by the advice we got from him,” suspended FDN Secretary General Rapula Gaotlhobogwe informed Sunday Standard.
Should the members consider taking further action against those who are behind the suspensions such development would also be communicated after consultation with the legal advisor.
Gaothobogwe said the suspended FDN League Committee’s decision to seek legal advice has been influenced by what they deem malicious reports ‘circulating in the print and social media as well as other public platforms, suggesting that the committee has misappropriated funds intended to run the league.’
He said as members of the suspended committee, they are of a view that the misinformation is ‘orchestrated by people who are interested in peddling lies and are hell-bent on discrediting the suspended committee for political expediency.’
According to the suspended committee the BFA had written to them seeking some clarifications on their books of accounts which the committee responded timely and produced a report. The report they produced they said was backed by statements and information from various stakeholders to address some of the concerns raised by the association in relation to the aforementioned transactions.
While the committee was waiting for feedback from the association, some of its members were slapped with suspensions that effected on the 1st of November 2018.
Gaotlhobogwe and his committee who do not accept the suspension want explanation on why they have been suspended while they have met all the requirements and addressed the concerns raised by BFA.
“To this day it still remains unclear why we were suspended. Interestingly, some of those who were roped in on an interim basis to take over from us are those who were overwhelming defeated at the league committee elections in May this year. These are the very people reportedly enjoying the backing of some of those who are at the helm at BFA,” observed Gaotlhobogwe.
According to the suspended committee the BFA actions bear the hallmarks of political gamesmanship and it is not far fetched to assume that the suspensions were done in bad faith or out of pure malice.
The committee is expected to issue detailed information about what transpired during their term in office after consultation with the legal advisor.
