BY DUNCAN KGANGKENNA
The Botswana Football Association leadership is accused of purging football administrators/officials who are linked to the past regime.
This follows the recent wholesale suspension of the Debswana First Division North (DFDN) executive committee which is believed to be aligned with former BFA president, Tebogo Sebego.
In a letter dated the 1st November the BFA Secretary General, Mfolo Mfolo informed the FDN committee that the BFA national Executive Committee meeting of the 26th October took the decision to suspend the whole committee pending the disciplinary hearing. The committee is accused of failing to account for the funds they received from the BFA.
Contacted for comment, the outspoken DFDN chairperson, Mpenzeni Sambandawe said they have received the letter and his committee is yet to meet to map the way forward.
“The next step will be determined by the contents of the letters they are going to write to the committee. That is when we can inform you of our decision. We want the normal process if any to take place,” explained Sambandawe.
He explained that their financial report was tabled at the DFDN annual general meeting where the report was adopted.
“After the adoption of the report by my committee we then sent it to the BFA to be included in the fincial report of the association,” he further explained. He said the BFA held the extra ordinary annual general assembly specifically to receive the BFA financial report.
“There was no mention of the first division North flawing the process and the financial report was adopted,” Sambandawe added. According Sambandawe the DFDN league was audited by an official sent to Francistown by Motlogelwa from Gaborone.
Sambandawe commonly called Samba within football circles said they will be meeting sometime next week to map the way forward. He told this publication that they are not shocked by the suspension because signs have been there and it was only matter of time for them to be served with suspension letter.
There are those within the BFA corridors who believe that there are some individuals who are targeted so that they won’t stand for the coming 2020 BFA national executive committee elections.
When asked whether the suspension of the DFDN was ratified by the weekend BFA assembly the BFA CEO, Mfolo Mfolo the item of ratification was not part of the agenda for the Extra Ordinary Assembly.
There was only one agenda item for the extra ordinary gathering to attend to which was duly done in accordance with procedures governing such meetings. The BFA leadership has for the past two years failed to table the financial report.
In the previous interview with Sunday Standard Sport Samba was of the view that the man who needed to be suspended first is the BFA second vice president, Pelotshweu Motlogelwa who failed for two years to present the financial reports at the two assemblies.
The BFA CEO Mfolo Mfolo explained that the annual Financial Statements for the year ended 2017/18 were approved by the Special Assembly after being presented for approval by the BFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee.
Asked if the financial report incorporated the DFDN he said the BFA reports consolidated Financial Statements, it does not report to the Assembly by regions or otherwise. The report incorporated BFA finances as per statutory requirements.
