BY DUNCAN KGANGKENNA
Jwaneng Galaxy’s war with the Botswana Premier League over the rescheduled match between Township Rollers and Miscellaneous is far from over.
On the 7th of May this year, the Jwaneng based outfit wrote a letter to the BPL questioning the legality of the game which was played on the evening of that very same day.
Back then, Galaxy contended that the rescheduled game between Rollers and Miscellaneous was ‘unlawful and improperly fixtured’ and demanded the last round of league games to be suspended to allow a decision on the matter.
Galaxy’s grievances were however not heard and the league proceeded, culminating with Rollers being crowned the league champions.
However, following the last league games which saw Rollers draw and Galaxy win their last match, the matter came to the fore again as the latter felt hard done by the ‘legalization’ of the controversial Rollers and Miscellaneous rescheduled game.
Responding to the matter on the 4th of June, the Botswana Premier League (BPL) Disciplinary Committee (DC) washed its hands off the matter, saying it can do nothing on it as it had been dealt with by a higher structure, being the Botswana Football Association (BFA).
The BFA DC informed Galaxy that ‘as a lower structure bound by the directives of the BFA, we can do no more than comply and implement same (BFA adjudication).’
Following up on the BPL DC’s letter, this past Friday, Galaxy wrote to the DC chairperson that they want justice and they want their case to be heard following the laid down football procedures.
Galaxy is accusing BPL DC for misdirecting its self in dealing with their issue. The BPL prosecutor wrote to Galaxy informing that they cannot listen to their case because upper body (BFA national executive committee) has made a determination on their case. The game was rescheduled and Rollers won the match.
“Kindly advise us of when we shall be heard before a competent authority in accordance with the BFA status where we shall be afforded our constitutional right to be heard. To deny us that right will be grossly unfair and cannot be allowed to obtain” enquired Galaxy secretary General Onkamile Robert.
“We have lodged a protest and have statuary right to be heard. You have no permissible discretion in executing that obligation. We hereby protest the grave injustice of denying us that opportunity to be heard and you are bound, by your statutes to remedy that anomaly without fail” charged Robert.
“In the spirit of fairness and natural justice we hereby request an urgent date on which our protest will be heard by the relevant structure so that this matter may be put to rest and mitigate against any further inconvenience and embarrassment to our lovely sport” Robert wrote two weeks ago and up today their case is yet to be urged before the competent authority.
“Do you not take away our rights sir? That on its own will be in gross violation of the FIFA principle of ‘FAIR PLAY’” Galaxy secretary demand fair play.
Galaxy also had wanted to know which clause of the BFA statutes did the DC derived the authority to instruct the BPL CEO, Thabo Ntshinogang to fixture a match that is subject to dispute. Galaxy believes least sent the matter to the BPL board to consideration and subsequent scheduling as they are competently empowered to do so by the statutes.
This is the second letter the team wrote to the BFA concerning the protest. Galaxy on the 7th May launched a formal protest before eth league in which the league ignored until they wrote another letter complaining of gross unfair treatment by the league authorities.
A fortnight ago Galaxy wrote to the BPL office reminding them that they have the right to be heard because the league had ignored their protest.
The league had initially ignored Galaxy letter of protest. “Our letter dated 07 May 2019 of protest, to date we have not received any formal response from your office which we find to be grossly unfair” read part of the letter two weeks ago.
The BPL despite Galaxy’s protest went on and awarded 2018/19 league Championship to Rollers instead of waiting for the case to be concluded.
“Based on the current log standings issued by your office, you will accept that a successful outcome in our favor will affect the final log standings. In this regard we pray and hope that the matter won’t be predetermined or have any form of coercing” Robert reminded Ntshinogang of the possibilities of the case outcome two weeks back.
The team has threatened to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to adjudicate if local bodies fail to give them justice.
