More than a year ago, football loving Botswana was rocked by allegations of attempted match fixing ahead of a crucial encounter between Gaborone United and Jwaneng Galaxy.
At the centre of the storm was a leaked recorded audio alleged to be a conversation between Botswana Football Association (BFA) employee, Monnakgotla Mojaki and referee, Joshua Bondo.
Following the leaking of the audio, Botswana Football Association (BFA) instituted a committee to investigate the matter. The committee’s report was handed to the BFA in June 2023. The report was never made public, but was leaked.
In its findings, the investigating committee found concerns regarding the welfare of referees. This came through in an interview with one of the country’s top referees Tshepo Gobagoba. The report quotes him as having told the investigating committee that “the majority of referees are not gainfully employed and this may leave them vulnerable to manipulation by those seeking to match fix.”
The Botswana Football League (BFL) CEO, Senzo Mbatha was also interviewed. He told the committee that “referees payment accounted for about 36% of sponsorship money. Referees who were not gainfully employed were not paid retainer, a situation which was regretful but such was a common phenomenon to most of Southern African Football league.”
Following these revelations, the investigation committee made a recommendation that the BFA and BFL management should consider introducing a retainer fee for referees who are not employed outside the BFA. The allowance would cushion referees financially and reduce the risk of exposure to match fixing and manipulation.
A year on from the release of the report, it seems nothing much has been done on the issue of retainers for referees. This, according to some administrators, still leaves the local game and referees open to bribery and match fixing.
Reached for comment, association Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mfolo Mfolo said they are working to improve the situation.
He said the BFA has received recommendations ‘regarding a lot of things and will continue to be made.’ These include ‘addressing the welfare of football administrators, who are mostly volunteers, as well as referees, players, and other officials.’
According to Mfolo, “while some of these recommendations have been achieved to some extent, others are still in progress. The BFA executive is working diligently to improve the overall situation, including the welfare of referees. It has always been the wish of BFA and BFL management to introduce a retainer fee for referees and match commissioners.”
“This fee would apply to all referees and match officials, not just those employed outside the BFA, as they all perform the same roles. However, implementing such a noble idea requires sustainability, and the Association is working tirelessly to secure long-term sponsorship,” he explained.
In addition, the BFA CEO said it has always been the association’s wish to pay higher match fees for referees. However, the association operates on a tight budget, and these financial constraints significantly impact the implementation of any of its projects.
On match fixing, he said it is a complex issue that requires not only vigilance from all football enthusiasts but also education. “Match fixing can involve various forms of intimidation, such as visiting match officials at their hotels during international matches, offering gifts, or asking them to assist a poorly prepared team. Sometimes, match officials may be approached in a joking manner by friends or relatives. It is essential for everyone involved in football to be educated about what constitutes match fixing,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Botswana Football League (BFL) CEO Bennett Mamelodi said the league has no immediate plans to have referees on retainer fees. “Referees are not on a retainer and there are no plans to do so in the short term,” he said.
He went on to add that the reason why referees are not on retainer is due to budgetary constraints. The league CEO said the league is actively looking into improving their welfare. He however does not believe retainers should be regarded as the only solution.
“What is necessary is attending to the vulnerabilities of the referees, and aggressively going after those who seek to prey on those vulnerabilities. Referees should be remunerated for work done. That remuneration should be reasonable and fair, taking into consideration, all aspects of their welfare,” Mamelodi said.
The BFL CEO said ‘a strategy to ensure issues of match fixing are addressed is at advanced stage of finalisation. He added that match fixing is a cancer that should be amputated with precision. BFA and FIFA have a zero tolerance for match fixing and going forward they are going to root it out with all its manifestations and rid the game of those involved.
