If it was according to former Botswana Football Association (BFA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ookeditse Malesu, he would not answer any questions pertaining to his short stint at the BFA.
In fact, since his unceremonious departure from the BFA at the end of August this year, the Botswana National Olympic Committee (BNOC) presidential hopeful has either skirted around the issue or been diplomatic about it.
However, there was nothing subtle or diplomatic when he was pressed to answer why he had quit the BFA during the BNOC presidential debate this past Thursday.
In what may be deemed as an indictment of the current BFA National Executive Committee (NEC), Malesu likened the BFA to a bus driven by drunkards.
“Ha o palame bus e kgwediwa ke matagwa, o a emisa o a hologa,” (loosely translated, ‘if you are riding on a bus and you realise the drivers are drunk, you stop it and get off,’) the immediate past BFA CEO said.
Pressed further to explain, a cagey Malesu however refused, opting for a more diplomatic, “I do not want to open a can of worms,” answer.
Speaking thereafter on the sidelines of the debate, the former BFA CEO said while he cannot go into the details, Batswana have to ask themselves why BFA CEO appointees never last the race.
In all this ‘drunken bus drivers’ narrative, Malesu however singled out his former boss Maclean Letshwiti as an exception in the narrative.
Seen as Letshwiti’s blue eyed boy, Malesu’s appointment as the BFA CEO polarised opinions among the BFA NEC.
His appointment was vehemently opposed by among others, Letshwiti’s own two vice presidents Segolame Ramotlhwa and Marshlow Motlogelwa.
When Malesu ascended the BFA CEO post, the two vice presidents made it clear to Letshwiti that they do not support his appointment.
“I would like to dissociate myself from such an unprocedural act and will neither own nor defend it,” Ramothwa wrote in an email to his NEC colleagues at the time.
“After having been hearing the rumour and some people asking some of us as to whether it was true or not that we had decided to appoint Mr Malesu as SG/CEO, last week Thursday, the president told myself and Mr (Marshlow) Motlogelwa that he would like to appoint Mr Malesu as the CEO.
“Both of us told him that we would not support such a move because the proposed individual has no clue about football neither does he have anything close to the required/needed experience for such a position that could compensate him for his gross football deficiencies,” so read Ramotlhwa’s email.
In the aftermath, at the end of his three months probation, Malesu’s probation was extended by another three months allegedly for him ‘to prove himself.’
With no change in attitudes towards him and allegedly facing a chop, Malesu tendered his resignation before his term came to a conclusion.
