Match official's case referred to BFA disciplinary body
Mqondisi Dube | Monday April 28, 2025 09:55
Sebeela was the key witness in a case between the Botswana Football League (BFL) against Gaborone United and its director, Nicholas Zakhem in March, but turned 'hostile and uncooperative' during the hearing. This resulted in the BFL withdrawing the case. The case followed a match between GU and BDF XI on February 2, in which Zakhem was accused of attacking match officials at the end of the match. Sebeela was the match commissioner on the day and his report was key in the BFL's decision to charge Zakhem and GU. After the BFL conceded the case, the league body sought the intervention of the BFA to discipline the official. Last month, the BFA CEO, Mfolo Mfolo indicated the case had been referred to the mother body's legal team. This week, Mfolo told MmegiSport the case is now with the BFA Referees Disciplinary Committee.
The BFL chief executive, Bennett Mamelodi also confirmed the development. 'We have engaged the BFA and they have informed us that the matter is currently being processed by the BFA National Referees Committee. We await direction on the way forward,' Mamelodi said. GU and Zakhem were facing four counts of misconduct when Sebeela is said to have changed his statement during cross-examination, 'contradicted the contents of his signed match report, became evasive and defensive,' according to a BFL letter to the BFA last month. 'He ended up lying under oath in favour of the accused,' Mamelodi said in the letter addressed to his counterpart at BFA, Mfolo. 'The effect of Mr Sebeela's conduct was to collapse and plainly kill our case on the basis that our star witness was unreliable and dishonest,' the letter further reads.
Mamelodi said faced with the prospect of losing the case due to an unreliable witness, they decided to withdraw the case against GU and Zakhem, leaving the BFL 'embarrassed'. 'What Sebeela did is unacceptable and makes a mockery of our efforts to clean football and maintain law and order, something which our commercial partners demand. We are, therefore, appealing to you (BFA) to assist us to resolve this gross misconduct on the part of Mr Sebeela,' Mamelodi stated. 'Surely you will accept that this is not something that can be allowed to go unpunished. In the meantime, Mr Sebeela should not be included in matches of the Botswana Football League,' he wrote.