The Botswana Premier League (BPL) has labelled its suspension as unconstitutional. In an attempt to halt insubordination from the BPL, the Botswana Football Association (BFA) National Executive Committee (NEC) slapped the entire BPL board with a suspension. The suspension, which was effected this past week, dissolved the BPL Board as the BFA took over to run Premier League affairs.
However, not the one to take a hiding silently, the BPL has now launched its own fight back as the fighting between the structure and its mother body, the BFA intensifies. In response to their suspension, the BPL board has poured scorn on the decision of the BFA NEC to suspend them, labelling charges against them as ‘frivolous.’
Responding to their suspension, the BPL Board is arguing that the decision to suspend them ‘was taken by a faction of the NEC of the BFA.’ “We have learnt with shock and dismay the decision by a certain faction of the NEC of the BFA, which falsely and unashamedly claims to be the BFA NEC, purporting to suspend the Board of the Premier League and its operations in terms of Article 38.12 as read with Article 38.18 of the BFA Constitution,” said BPL.
Now, Sunday Standard has it in good authority that the BPL board is plotting to ignore resolution taken by the BFA NEC. Leaked information from the BPL has revealed that nine of the 16 BPL club chairman’s have signed a letter to the BFA informing them of their intention to ignore their suspension by the BFA NEC. “We hereby advise you that the Board shall ignore such resolutions and shall continue to discharge its constitutional mandate of running the affairs pertaining to football in the Premier League,” the BPL warned.
The BPL Board went even further, accusing BFA President Tebogo Sebego of factionalism as he called only his allies to a meeting that decided to suspend the BPL Board. “The Boards concern is with the illegal gathering that was convened by the President and his lackeys that took the decision to suspend the Board. As is the norm, the agenda of the BFA NEC meeting circulated to Board members for their input. It will be seen from the agenda items that there was no item that dealt with suspension of the Premier League Board,” said BPL.
“Meetings of the NEC are regulated by Article 37 of the BFA Constitution. The illegal gathering that was convened after closure of a properly constituted meeting of the NEC does not comply with Article 37 of the Constitution and is accordingly unconstitutional and any decisions taken at such unconstitutional and illegally convened gathering are of no force or effect,” said BPL Chairperson Okaile.
“It is not our intention herein to address each and every charge, allegation or what you term incidents of misconduct with this correspondence. Such will be addressed at the appropriate time, including providing necessary documentary evidence to demonstrate that the charges that have been levelled against the Board are frivolous,” the BPL Board pointed out.
Reached for comment, Sebego said a decision was taken by the majority of the BFA NEC despite BPL Board Chairperson’s absence due to disciplinary actions that they felt needed to be addressed against the BPL. ‘’It should be understood all that happened in the BFA NEC special meeting is on record and talks of factions are news to us. Only two members were absent while BPL Chairperson Rapula Okaile could not be part of the meeting because discussions were about the Board he leads,” Sebego said briefly.
