The Botswana Football Association (BFA) elective General Assembly (GA) is fast approaching and candidates are already digging dirt to sling at each other.
For the current BFA 1st vice president Pelotshweu Motlogelwa, the mudslinging could not have come any faster.
The BFA 1st vice president is the first target of this year’s malevolent campaigns as detractors seek to gain an upper hand over him.
This past week, rumors started swelling that Motlogelwa, who is seen as BFA president Maclean Letswhiti’s right hand man did not meet some eligibility requirements to stand.
At the center of the detractors’ accusations was a default judgement awarded against him over an alleged failure to pay his loan obligations with First National Bank of Botswana (FNBB).
In the default judgement, which was later reversed, Justice Zein Kebonang ordered Motlogelwa to pay FNBB the sum of P565 173.58.
According to the judgement which was delivered in February 2018, the money was to be paid with daily interest of 12% compounded monthly to the account from 6th June 2017 up to the date of full settlement.
The perceived financial standing of Motlogelwa has already been met with glee from his detractors, who are now already indicating ‘they are ready to approach the BFA ethics committee if Motlogelwa makes the cut.’
“He is the head of the finance committee responsible for the finances of the BFA and as the custodian of the BFA money he must be pure and clean,” the concerned individuals opined.
They further observed that if he is compromised his ability to function is also compromised and will always be suspect.
The concerned individuals cite that according to Article 33.5 of the BFA constitution, “… must not have been previously found guilty of any criminal offence incompatible with the position or declared insolvent or failed the integrity test determined by the electoral committee…”
Motlogelwa’s detractors point out that he does not meet one particular requirement of the eligibility test as contained in the electoral code.
The said requirement seeks to know whether a candidate is ‘currently subject to any pending civil, criminal, disciplinary proceedings or investigations by any independent or legal body that may affect your position in respect of BFA?’
According to the said concerned people, they stand to see whether Motlogelwa will pass the integrity vetting or not.
“As a top man in the lobby list of the current BFA leader, we wait to see how his matter will be dealt with. If he is not vetted out, all candidates must be allowed to participate,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, an unfazed Motlogelwa shrugged off the taunts of his detractors as mere mudslinging.
“This has everything to do with the current campaign for BFA elections. It is a smear campaign against me,” he uttered.
Motlogelwa said while he had at one point missed one-month payment of his loan, the matter has long been resolved and normalized.
“It is a pity that people will go out and dig out my personal matters and intentionally misrepresent them to suit their own agenda,” he lamented.
“I have since regularized and we had the consent order that talks to that,” he explained.
Motlogelwa’s version is corroborated by a consent order signed by the high court and which was availed to this publication.
“Execution of this order be and is hereby suspended on condition that the defendant; maintains his account fully paid, and that no arrears accrue and/or accumulate in respect of same,” the consent order reads.
It then continues to state that “In the event of breach of any of the terms above, the entire balance outstanding as at the point of breach shall become immediately due and payable, and the plaintiff shall (without limitation of its right) be entitled to obtain a writ of execution for the enforcement of payment,” reads the order.
Commenting on the order, the BFA 1st vice president said the reason why the matter has not cropped up again since then was because everything is now in order.
He went on to point out that as the heat of the elections intensifies, he expects to see more dirt thrown.
Motlogelwa said this is however regrettable as it scares good administrators away from the game.
At the upcoming elective assembly, Motlogelwa will once again stand for the position of BFA 1st vice president in the association’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The BFA elections committee this week wrote to all candidates to submit affidavits to support their candidature. There is no provision in the BFA constitution that seek to have affidavits.
