Deposed chess committee fights back
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday January 27, 2024 06:00
Chess hit unexpected turbulence last year when the BCF affiliates expressed disquiet over the Mooketsi Segaise-led committee. A motion of no confidence was passed on the committee this week, but a legal battle could now be on the cards.
One of the concerns raised by clubs was the national team selection criteria used by the executive committee. The members also complained that the executive committee did not recognise them as affiliates despite being members in good standing.
Clubs submitted a petition to the executive committee and it was rejected. However, they proceeded with the Special General Meeting on Wednesday where a motion of no confidence was passed against the entire executive committee. An interim committee was subsequently put in place and is expected to serve until elections are held.
In a letter to clubs, the BCF secretary-general, Mokwaledi Tingwane, outlined the procedures of calling a meeting by bona fide members of the federation. Tingwane was responding to the club’s call for the SGM, which removed his committee from the office on Wednesday.
“The said communiqué expressly states that it is founded on the provisions of article 12 (C ) of the BCF constitution. In terms of the provisions of the said article, two thirds of the federation members may petition the committee to hold an SGM to resolve or discuss issues of general importance,” the letter reads in part.
Tingwane said what comes throughout the letter is that those who seek permission for a meeting should be members of the federation and must constitute two-thirds. He said for a club to be a full member of the BCF, they should provide statement of assets and liabilities as well as income and unaudited expenses statement, existence of the constitution that is approved by the Registrar of Society, and proof of the democratic election or re-election of its office bearers.
“The executive committee is yet to receive such from clubs, amongst other things so as to confirm their affiliate status. Subscription fees payments remains open. The seven clubs who signed the petition have not paid up their subscriptions cannot be said to have met the two thirds majority imposed by the constitution, and once this requirement has not been met, the petition cannot be sanctioned,” Tingwane said in the letter.
The letter further states that the BCF executive committee has never received any written concerns from its membership for consideration.
“Therefore it is surprising to get a call for an SGM whilst no complaints were ever received from the general membership. Your communiqué has not set out the grievances which you seek to address hence placing the committee in an awkward position of being petitioned to attend to issues which have not been disclosed,” the letter reads.
Speaking to MmegiSport yesterday, the BCF president Mooketsi Segaise said the meeting was a sham, so whatever clubs decided is of no consequence.
For her part, the interim president, Kutlwano Tatolo said she does not expect that the outgoing committee will bow out gracefully.
“The Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) will need to make a determination of who it recognises as executive committee urgently. The plan is to complete the SGM minutes and do a cover letter informing the BNSC and outgoing committee today (Thursday),” Tatolo said yesterday.
Other members of the interim committee are Layton Mothupi (vice president-administration), Chadza Bontsi (secretary-general) and Kebalepile Francis (treasurer).