The first 2017 Botswana Football Association National Executive Committee (BFA NEC) meeting is expected to be volatile for the association’s president, Maclean Letshwiti.
The NEC is anticipated to discuss the two contentious issues of the appointment of the BFA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ookeditse Malesu, and the Premier League forensic audit report.
The other thorny issue is that of the recently introduced development league.
If rumours going around are anything to go by, some NEC members are said to have hinted that if the president does not reverse some of the decisions they will resign in protest.
According to our sources on the appointment of Malesu, the BFA president is going to face a stiff resistance from his vice presidents, Segolame Ramotlhwa and Marshlow Motlogelwa.
Those who are expected to team with the duo are NEC ordinary members Masego Nchingane and Sinki Sesinyi, Eatametse Olopeng, Tshepo Mphoeng, Rebasikwa Mothoagae (Eastern Block) and Sam Keitireng (National First Division NEC representative).
It is said the mentioned people have since indicated that they are unhappy with the appointment of Malesu and will seek the president to explain his actions on hiring him.
On the other hand, Letshwiti can count on the support of three blocks representatives being Philemon Bunu (Northern Block), Thapelo Otimile (Southern Block) and Tokyo Modise (Western Block) and Premier League representative Rapula Okaile.
Malesu was head-hunted and appointed by the BFA president without the endorsement of the NEC.
The NEC is the one to justify his choice of the CEO and also defend his qualification to lead the BFA but this is on the contrary.
“We expect the president to explain why the post was not advertised; also why he appointed the CEO without the knowledge and approval of the NEC,” a source said.
The BPL forensic audit is also likely to divide the house. Those who talked to this publication on condition of anonymity said the NEC members don’t have the forensic audit report and that the decision of the BFA emergency committee to suspend former BPL CEO Bennett Mamelodi was not ratified by the NEC.
They also want know why the report was not given to them but to some sections of the media.
The sources further say some NEC members want the powers of the emergency committee (comprising of president and his two vice presidents) be set aside because it seem to be failing in its mandate.
“The emergency committee’s decisions must be approved by the NEC according to the BFA constitution. We want the emergency committee to be set aside because if it is left unattended it is destined to bring more conflicts between them and the NEC,” said a source.
On the issue of the development league, the NEC also wants to know why the BFA hired block technical officers yet they are no offices they work from.
“As full time employees who are paid monthly they are supposed to daily report to work where they will plan and fully execute their mandate. The technical officers are supposed to work from 7.30am to 4.30pm or from 8am to 5pm,” observed sources close to NEC.
The sources opined that as it stands the hired technical officers have no value because they don’t have offices to work from and should not be paid for working from home as if they are volunteers.
They say the BFA could have first built offices across the country were hired staff will work from.
The other issue that they will like to BFA president to give feedback on is the progress of the development league because they are many challenges it is facing.
Among the challenges are that bush has grown on the grounds and there is no arrangement of clearing them. Also there are lack of trained personnel and lack of resources to enroll the league in full swing.
The other challenge that NEC is expected to address is that some of the teams participating in the league are not affiliated to the BFA.
