Suspended Premier League Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bennett Mamelodi’s lawyer Dutch Leburu has written to Botswana Football Association (BFA) to guide them on what his client should do. Mamelodi’s 45-day suspension elapsed on Monday and there has not been communication coming from the BFA as to whether he should start work or not.
“We have written to BFA seeking advice on the way forward since the 45 days of suspension for Mamelodi has elapsed. He cannot go to work and do nothing; they have to clarify his role so that he has to know what he is expected to do so that he can fulfill his duties,” said Leburu. Asked if they had any answer from the correspondence, Leburu said: “The BFA lawyer told me that the BFA is still dealing with the matter internally.”
Leburu said they had been receiving rumours of what the BFA intends to do with his client. “We haven’t received anything yet but we have heard the rumour that they want to extend his suspension pending disciplinary hearing. The rumours further suggest that his employees want to terminate his contract” said Leburu.
Mamelodi was redeployed from the Premier League office to the BFA and he was suspended before he could assume his new role at the BFA. The BFA leadership never explained his new role.
On Friday Justice Paper Molomo reserved judgment in which the Botswana Premier League (BPL) has asked for rejoinder in the case in which Mamelodi is seeking the court to interdict the disciplinary hearing the league board wants the CEO to appear for charges he faced. The judgment of rejoinder is expected to be passed next month.
Arguing his case Leburu is adamant that the league arguments for rejoinder are a waste of time. “The Premier League is not a stand-alone entity that can sue or be sued. If the BFA seizes to exist, automatically the Premier League will be no more because they are not an independent institution. They survive because the mother body (BFA) is functional,” Leburu said. In buttressing his points Leburu is of the view that if BFA was to be liquidated the league will not have any say in the liquidation of the mother body because they are affiliates.
Lore Morapedi, lawyer for the Premier League, is convinced that the league has locus standi against Mamelodi. Morapedi argues that the Premier League Board is the one that has hired Mamelodi hence it have the powers to discipline the CEO in charges he faced. He is says the board supervises the CEO and that alone gives the right to take any disciplinary action they see fit against Mamelodi. Leburu is of the view that the CEO appointment was endorsed by the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) it sort permission from the BFA to appoint him.
Mamelodi’s case is expected to continue on February 14 next year in when he will be seeking the court to interdict the disciplinary hearing he is subjected to by the league board. Mamelodi is facing charges of maladministration.
Still with the premier league, the BFA is yet to release the two audits that were done by local firm BDO a South African firm.
