Chess president ready for peace talks
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday August 5, 2023 06:00
Khutsafalo resigned from his position last week Friday after serving a suspension for almost a year. “I was hoping we could smoke a peace pipe but I have not lost hope yet,” Segaise said when asked if the resignation came as a surprise.
Segaise said he would get the crux and fully understand everything at the engagement. Speaking to this publication, Khutsafalo wondered where Segaise has been all along. “At this point? Where was he all along? I am sorry, my peace and sanity come first,” he reacted to the suggestion of peace talks. Khutsafalo said Segaise has never communicated with him.
In his letter, Khutsafalo said his resignation was the wisest course of action because his conception of chess is different from the culture at large. “The current executive committee has never seen tranquillity from the moment I took office until the present. My decision to retire was therefore motivated by the reality that there does not seem to be a way to bring any peace into office,” the letter reads.
Khutsafalo revealed through the resignation letter that the moment he stepped into the office, he made it a point to give regular updates to the club managers in the WhatsApp forum they had. “You may remember a subsequent update I gave you all on September 30, 2022, which mentioned worries expressed by others on related topics. These and other factors, in my opinion, have eroded chess equity further, making it unworkable and damaging even to my professional reputation,” he said.
Khutsafalo said a public office should be held in a respectful and dignified manner in the interest of the general public. Meanwhile, Khutsafalo said some issues prevented him from carrying out the promises he made during his campaign for office. “(The) BCF 2022 grant of P200,000 from BNSC (was) acquired outside the BCF executive committee and such overriding set BNSC guidelines.
What actually happened to the grant and how it was supposed to be returned to the Federation are still unanswered questions. Tournaments' entry fees were unaccounted for and kept disappearing without a trace. Lack of proper office hand over, no validated BCF assets register, sponsorship funds unaccounted for, and subscription fees were unaccounted for,” the letter reads in part. Khutsafalo said his indefinite suspension was unconstitutional.