Botswana Football Association (BFA) and Botswana Football League (BFL) are on a suspension spree. Last week Friday, the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) suspended NEC member, Tico Kamati, while the BFL suspended Rollers chief executive officer (CEO), Bennett Mamelodi.
This comes just weeks after the BFL NEC resolved to suspend the duo of Motshegetsi Mafa and Sydney Magagane; the Township Rollers Team Manager and General Manager respectively, from football activities. The duo was suspended after being accused of contravening BFA rules over the registration of Township Rollers player, Onkarabile Ratanang.
BFL Chief Executive Officer, Solomon Ramochotlhwane suspended Township Rollers Chief executive Officer, Bennett Mamelodi. The suspension follows the adhoc committee investigations on the Royal Arena incidents that happened during an encounter between city rivals, Township Rollers and Gaborone United on 19 February. The committee investigations found that the match tickets were printed in excess which led to overcrowding of supporters. They also found that Rollers did not adhere to the Covid protocols of playing matches at 50% of venue capacity. The protocols expected social distancing between supporters which did not happen and the adhoc committee felt safety was compromised.
The adhoc committee in their findings found that 7000 tickets were printed as opposed to 4000 tickets that were supposed to have been printed. It was further found that the match venue was not suitable to host the match.
According to the report, the suspension is based on “willfully disregarding covid protocols by printing tickets more than the capacity allowed by the rules, BNSC circular 37 of 2021. Failure to deploy adequate security during the game contrary to the BFL disciplinary code.”
When reached for comment on Friday evening, BFA chief executive, Mfolo Edwin Mfolo could not provide reasons for Kamati’s suspension save to say “we will release the statement this evening. I am preparing the statement.” By the time of going to press, the BFA was yet to release the statement. Kamati was suspended the during the NEC meeting where he was asked to excuse himself before the decision to suspend him was arrived at.
When contacted for comment to confirm if indeed it is true that Mamelodi has been suspended, Ramochotlhwane said “I am not aware of that. You can talk to him.”
