Owing clubs given licences
Mqondisi Dube | Monday September 1, 2025 06:00
The FIB is a committee tasked with reviewing and granting licences to clubs to participate in the FNB Premiership. There have been concerns that the body has been too liberal in granting licences to clubs, even to those that owe their former players and coaches.
However, FIB chairperson Phazha Butale has said there was a communication error which saw clubs that have overdue payables granted licences.
'The FIB is very independent and consists of professionals with high levels of integrity. There is no undue influence from any quarter. We would not allow such,' he said.
Former FIB chairperson, Leviet Ntwaagae, had alleged there was interference in the issuance of licences by senior Botswana Football Association (BFA) officials and that he is taking the issue to both CAF and FIFA.
Ntwaagae said his committee was unfairly removed and that some clubs with overdue payables were favoured and granted licences.
BFA CEO, Mfolo Mfolo, said he would not comment on Ntwaagae's allegations, which he deemed malicious.
Meanwhile, Butale said it only came to their attention that some clubs had overdue payables when decisions to grant licences had been made.
'All clubs that were approved for licensing met all the requirements. We were, however, made aware of possible non-disclosure of overdue payables by the FIB after that fact. We then had a trilateral meeting with FUB and the BFA to tackle the issue and ensure that it does not recur. The anomaly arose from a communication breakdown between the institutional structures,' Butale stated.
Butale said the FUB wrote a letter dated August 14 alerting us of overdue payables when our meeting had met and issued licences on the 11th.
'There is no leniency; all parties agreed that all clubs owing should make good. The BFL will ensure that,' he added.
In March, the FUB wrote to the BFA National Dispute Resolution Chamber (NDRC) over concerns about clubs' failure to comply with the dispute resolution body's orders.
Several clubs had failed to comply with the NDRC's chambers, resulting in the FUB writing to the body to seek clarity. In a letter dated March 26, 2025, the Union's legal department wanted to know why there was non-compliance with valid orders.
'We have not been favoured with a response to any of the letters, nor has there been compliance by the involved teams,' the FUB wrote.
'Please note that the order issued by the NDRC is valid and enforceable and it is your responsibility, as per the NDRC regulations, to ensure compliance and that steps are taken by the parties in contempt,' the letter reads.
The FUB expressed its concern that as long as the orders are not complied with, it undermined the NDRC authority and also prejudiced the players and all the parties that are owed. The union had given the NDRC seven days to respond or else the matter would be taken to FIFA. But as of this week, the FUB confirmed that there has been no response.
BFA CEO, Mfolo, forwarded MmegiSport enquiries to the NDRC, but there had been no response at press time. However, he said he was aware of an ongoing meeting about the matter.