Trouble brewing at Motorsport Association
By Ketumile Ramatiti
Mismanagement of funds and clashing egos prevailing at the troubled Botswana Motorsport Association (BMS) offices are the main instigators of misfortunes that are currently engulfing the Association, sources have revealed.
Following the instability at the Association, the Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) has slapped BMS Vice President David Mashonja with a five year suspension. BMS has been on a rocky boat for some time now, owing to bickering over poor administration at the Association, failure to hold an AGM and other misdeeds by the current leadership. Information before this publication indicates that the BNSC who has evidently had it with the circus at the Association took the decision last week Wednesday.
After watching with keen interest the internal bickering, the mother body on the eve of the Association's envisaged AGM two weeks ago called a different to enquire on the basics of the envisaged AGM but to no avail. "The meeting resolved inter-alia that nobody would communicate the outcome of the meeting with any person/s until a press statement had been issued. The BNSC has determined that you disregarded its resolution, thereby engaging in a conduct likely to be detrimental to the good administration of sport," a letter seen by this paper written by BNSC CEO Falcon Sedimo to Mashonja read in part. It further stated that," You are hereby and excluded from the administration of any sport in the republic of Botswana whether professional, elite, amateur, grassroots, recreational or at any other level for a period of five years with effect from the date of this letter," Sedimo said in a letter dated the 28th of September.
Sources say the reason the meeting could not be staged two weeks ago was because the Association failed to provide BNSC with the receipts for all the transactions under scrutiny hence the AGM was called off for the leadership to provide those to ease the auditing process which is paramount in all the general meetings. This according to BNSC is the information that was not to be known to third parties.
However, the committee of six is divided on the issue. Gaborone Motor Club has been vocal about the mismanagement besieging the code; it has written numerous times to the BNSC to intervene with their last communiqué suggesting that the Association hold a Special General Meeting (SGM) to re-direct their vehicle into route. This year will be the second year running with the BMS failing to hold its AGM despite the constitution clearly stating that, "the AGM shall be convened after the first of August but not after the 30th of September every year".
Nonetheless Francistown Club, Ghetto Riders, has also joined in the fray to add their displeasure on the ongoing, further threatening to leave BMS and register with its South African equal if the status quo prevails. The Simon Modisaeman led bloc has been the most restless association after they were recently suspended by Federation of Motor Sport (FIM) for failing to pay affiliation license fees. Besides, the Association has also failed to pay third party liabilities. This in turn means that the riders are at risk of financial ruin, as any accident that may occur will mean they bear the cost for any incurred damage.
The affiliates however concede that the suspension of Mashonja is a huge blow for the Association as he has been the fastest wheel in the committee. "Mash has been the most active member and his suspension will kill us if it takes time to find someone passionate about sport like him," one of the riders told this paper.
Other reports from the association suggest that the president Modisaeman threw in the towel from his post early this year, leaving the association headless, where everyone can do what he pleases. Some of the riders have even cried foul about nepotism and favouritism that took place after some legitimate riders were omitted from a squad that represented this country at Kenya. This happened after one of the committee members sourced sponsorship from private companies and travelled with his ideal team.
BNSC as the mother body is expected to call the stakeholders or take control of the BMS to re- align the code back to where it is supposed to be.
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Kenneth Mosekiemang
Botswana Football Association (BFA) leadership finds itself caught between a rock and a hard place owing to the ever burning issue of mischievous spending at operational level.
While the association coffers have suddenly dried up, with some staff members getting the boot, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development has threatened to place the Maclean Letshwiti led association under strict funding for unspecified period of time.
WeekendSport learns that the sport ministry is not happy about the financial status of the association and will want to act before everything get messy.
At the close of last year, the Ministry had to intervene for the Women National Football Team to travel to Ethiopia as BFA had no penny to cover for the travelling costs.
As if that was not enough, the BFA December wages were covered from the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) purse, an abnormality that BFA is at pains to explain.
All these incidents, however, coincide with a time when the Sport ministry is putting in place a new revised modeling for funding. The model requests national sports associations to explain in details the why they will need funding for their calendar of events.
Moreover, the Ministry is eager to prioritize funding basing on the performance of the sport code on a yearly basis.
"Things have changed, we are not going to splash money like we used to do, and we want a code to explain fully how they are going to spend the money," a source shared.
Moreover, we will be funding looking at the overall performance of the code, we are not going to fund just because it is football and it is loved by many people."
At worst, the ministry will want the association to account and should BFA fail to balance their books, the National Executive Committee(NEC) is likely to be dissolved by the ministry.
Sources further state that the Ministry's patience has actually wilted away concerning codes that abuse funds. In the case of BFA, sources point out that they are likely to get half subvention until everything goes back to normalcy.
On a good year, BFA subvention reaches P 5.4million annually. Should the ministry persists, BFA will start operations of the year on a budget of about P 2.7 million. It will not be for the first time the association finds itself bearing the brunt.
Sometimes in 2018 when Tshekedi Khama was the Minister, the association's subvention were cut down to pay an old standing debt that amounted to P3 million.
However, high ranking officials at the association believe funds can still be accounted for and refuses to accept that they have been reckless when it comes to spending. The official who does not want be named is of the view that the association had to halt FIFA projects and concentrate on incidental expenses brought by COVID -19.
According to BFA expenditure, the CEO gets the higher chunk and that's where most of the money went. A national trip to South Africa by senior national team has also seen the association spending close to a million.
Moreover, the communication department of the association is bleeding more money after a certain PR agency was appointed nearly two years ago.
Township Rollers first ever Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bennett Mamelodi has reportedly turned down an offer from Botswana Football Association (BFA) to take over the reins at the association as the new CEO.
This comes to the fore following the 'always expected' suspension of Goabaone Taylor in December 2021, on account of internal investigations relating to the misappropriation of funds that transpired before her eyes.
Sources speaking to this publication indicate that Taylor will eventually vacate her position, barely eight months after her historic appointment as the first ever lady to lead the often stubborn BFA secretariat.
Masterminds behind her appointment and eventual fall from grace wanted to therefore give Mamelodi an opportunity to assume the role, but the soft spoken administrator is reported to have chickened out, opting to stay put at Township Rollers.
It is not yet known why an ambitious man like Mamelodi's feet will turn cold over a job that commands respect across football circles.
However, it is reported that the once rejected Mfolo Mfolo will have a second bite on the cherry after BFA president MacLean Letshwiti confided to his close allies that he was misled at a time when Mfolo was sacked.
The equally soft spoken Mfolo, who too has footprints at Township Rollers was fired just after the October 2020 elections for allegedly failing to take charge when the national under 17 was disqualified from the COSAFA tournament after failing the MRI test.
All the while, reports indicate that Mamelodi is eyeing the Botswana Football League (BFL) post where he made his name, but close sources continue to deny that the brother to Ashford Mamelodi will want to go back to Lekidi Football Centre given the manner in which his dismissal was handled about six years ago.
At the time of going to print, he could not be reached for comment.
As things stand, Mamelodi has been appointed as the project manager of BFL while holding the fort at Rollers. He is anticipated to provide insight on how the league can source sponsors for itself and run smoothly without struggles. He is also expected to erect a working structure for the BFL.
Mamelodi has previously worked with Jwaneng Galaxy as well as interim spells with Orapa United to help both clubs turn professional. He is said to be in love with what he does at Popa and it is why he is no longer intrigued by BFA political positions.
However, sources mention that Mamelodi will be tried once again but are skeptical that the man will agree to the deal even if it is mouthwatering.
Mosimanegape Tshoswane
Township Rollers veterans, who are reaching the end of their careers are hoping to part on high note, but the club has had a slow start to the season, playing second fiddle to its city rivals, Gaborone United. The Reds has won the first edition of FA Cup since 2012 — now under the sponsorship of network giants, Orange — to send a memo to league rivals that this season is not business as usual.
Rollers has responded in controversial fashion, firing coach Hassan Oktay after suffering the ignominy of being knocked out by top flight football rockies, Masitiaoka. The Blues have since appointed Frenchman Romain Folz to turn the club's pot of gold into silverware, an attempt that his predecessor, Oktay has failed early into the season. After clinching players with vast experience, the expectation is still enormous at Popa that all available cups including the league title should find space in their trophy cabinet.
Also, the club would want to traverse a torrid passage of CAF champion's league, reaching group stages, once more. It is in this regard that Ofentse Nato is hoping for his own great leap forward in effort to end his injury nightmare. The no nonsense defensive midfielder has only featured once for the team this year owing to unspecified injuries. This is the first time, in his football carrier that Nato misses the first five opening games of the season.
His absence could have left Rollers struggling. But he too, could struggle to return to his former self, missing the opportunity to drive Rollers back to glory days, alongside the rest of a gilded trio of the club; Maano Ditshupo, Simisane Mathumo and of course Motsholetsi Sikele. But the teams' insistency and promise to make a loud impact this season is yet to bear fruits. The quartet will have to stand strong otherwise the ambition mirrors a tomorrow that will never come.
As part of the multi-million project of Jagdish Shah, the players were recruited to embody the present and future of the club. But all of them are on the wrong side of 30. Maano is 36, Nato is 32, Mathumo is 30 while Sikele is 30. Both Ditshupo and Mathumo are exchanging the armband while Sikele has almost lost his starting berth to youngsters. Nato is also slowing down and it appears he has seen his better days.
The talent of the big four should make the case for Rollers to finally make headline impact, particularly in the league and FA cup starting in January next year. Rollers coaches agree that as a unit they could find an edge and this band of serial winners glimpse glory. The sense all could awaken for the business end is enhanced by their respective pedigrees. All the four know the pleasure of taking Rollers to glory days, they also understand the pain of failing with the club.
Ditshupo in particular, has been the most consistent player of all in Rollers squad; it betrays logic why he was never called to represent the country. In the first five games of the season, Rollers have been nothing but a luke warm club. They have emitted mixed reactions. They started well, clobbering Lobatse Outfit, Extension Gunners by 2-0. Against premier league rookies, Masitaoka, they huffed and puffed, but the absence of midfielder Ditshupo was conspicuously seen as they were knocked out of the tournament.
However, the quartet returned to the lineup for the first time as a unit against Notwane in a midweek fixture. Rollers were not convincing despite winning 1-0 to return to the summit. Judging by their performance and age, the quartert might not play Rollers ball again next season as premier league retirement looms.