'BNSC has no control over office terms'
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday November 6, 2021 09:14
He said sport codes are controlled by their constitutions. Serufho spoke after the Botswana Cycling Association (BCA) re-elected Mmetla Masire as its president recently, which will see him remain as one of the longest-serving sport leaders in the country as he serves his eighth term.
Masire, together with his secretary-general Tlamelo Dube, has been at the helm since 2013. However, Dube failed in his bid for re-election last week. Treasurer, Karabo Rasenyai joined the executive committee in 2014 and has been re-elected. Masire told Mmegi Sport some clubs asked him to seek re-election as they felt he had unfinished business.
“I still feel that I have a lot to offer cycling and, as we run cycling democratically if people feel that my time is up and somebody else should take cycling to the next level, they could elect somebody else,” he said.
Masire added that the current term is short, as they would be going back to the members for an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March 2022, if they are still using the 2008 constitution or in September 2022 if the Registrar Of Society has approved the 2015 constitution.
Asked about complaints raised by some affiliates about the BCA constitution, Masire said the association is currently using the 2008 constitution which is the document that guided the recent October 28 elections.
“However, a point of correction, it is not true that the General Assembly did not accept or approve the new constitution (the 2015 constitution). The 2015 constitution was approved by the AGM in 2015 and was submitted to the Registrar of Societies (RoS). There were amendments made to the 2015 constitution in 2016 and were sent to the RoS. When it was realised that the RoS had not approved the document, we decided to revert to the 2008 constitution and this was a decision taken by the general assembly at a Special General Meeting (SGM),” he said.
Masire explained that they have followed up with RoS and they confirmed that the 2015 constitution has gone through the first reading. He said BCA is waiting for the constitution to go through the second reading and hopefully be approved after that.
“Given the very short time, the key would be to bring unity at the executive committee so that we could focus on our mandate. Also key would be to get the governance issues back in order, especially the constitutional review to improve some areas we have identified,” he said.
Masire said the intention is to return to the levels of fitness and competitiveness they had before the outbreak of COVID-19. He said the intention is also to grow the pool of cyclists and keep building the cycling brand the value proposition they put to potential sponsors. He said they would need to try and get more support and assistance from the international governing body, Union Cycliste Internationale.
Despite that, some BCA affiliates feel Masire has failed cycling.
“We have no development unless you talk of Bakang Ebudilwe and Gontse Lethokwe. They are now almost 30 years and have no international medal or top 10 finish. At this time we should be having a team of four Under-18 youths who should be competing with South Africans,” a source said.
The source further said Masire has never released BCA financial reports.