Sekgororoane, the latest victim of a poisoned chalice
Mqondisi Dube | Monday January 12, 2026 06:00
In Botswana’s football landscape, the role of Botswana Football League (BFL) CEO was once seen as a prestigious leadership position, an opportunity to shape the future of the country’s most popular sport. Yet in recent years, what should be a platform for strategic vision has instead become a poisoned chalice.
This perception has only hardened with the brief and controversial tenure of Billy Sekgororoane, the latest CEO to find himself engulfed in controversy and calls for removal barely months into his appointment. But his struggles echo those of his predecessors, a pattern that suggests deeper systemic weaknesses within the BFL’s structure and culture.
When the BFL board announced the appointment of Sekgororoane in August 2025, there was cautious optimism.
With a background that included executive leadership roles in corporate Botswana, including at Multichoice Botswana and Dulux Botswana, his hiring was framed as a bid to inject commercial acumen and governance discipline into the league’s operations.
Yet within months, Sekgororoane found himself under intense scrutiny and criticism. Shareholders, the clubs that collectively own stakes in the BFL, had knives out for him.
Financial tensions compounded the situation. The BFL board took a decision to channel some of the funds meant for the clubs’ grants towards the running of the secretariat, which infuriated the stakeholders.
Before long, some influential voices at the league called for the removal of Sekgororoane and also wanted the board chairperson, Sipho Showa’s head. Sekgororoane’s challenges did not emerge in a vacuum. The BFL CEO seat has experienced a revolving door of executives, many of whom have departed under pressure or in acrimonious circumstances.
The first CEO after the BFL’s autonomy, granted in 2020 to separate league operations from the Botswana Football Association (BFA), was Solomon Ramochotlhwane. His time in office was short and ended abruptly in 2022, just as the new season approached. His departure sent shock waves through the football fraternity.
That episode set an early pattern, one of unexpected exits without resolution and little confidence-building continuity.
Following Ramochotlhwane’s exit, South African administrator Senzo Mbatha was brought in to steady the ship. Charged with bringing professional discipline and commercial growth, his contract was short-term by design, one year with an optional six-month extension.
By early 2024, however, his contract was not renewed, and he left amid criticism of stagnation and internal disputes. His tenure had been marred by board infighting and a broader struggle over the league’s direction.
Perhaps the most dramatic example of the CEO role’s peril was the reign and abrupt exit of Bennett Mamelodi. In mid-2025, both Mamelodi and then BFL chairperson, Peter Kesitilwe, resigned within days of one another, leaving the organisation rudderless amidst claims of poor governance, budget deficits, and unresolved sponsorship controversies.
Social media rumours even swirled over Mamelodi’s suspension before the board issued public denials, highlighting how opaque and politicised league leadership had become.
Sekgororoane’s struggles, and those of his predecessors, reflect broader challenges within Botswana football governance, problems that go beyond individual leadership capabilities.
The BFL’s ownership structure is inherently complex. Clubs are shareholders, and they wield substantial influence over league decisions, which translates into constant political jockeying that distracts from long-term strategy.
The dynamic between the BFL and the Botswana Football Association (BFA) further complicates matters. At times, the BFA has reclaimed administrative authority from the BFL in an attempt to restore order and oversight after prolonged dysfunction.
The local football ecosystem is financially fragile. Clubs struggle to generate revenue beyond sponsorships and gate receipts, making league finances highly sensitive to commercial performance. Securing sustainable sponsorship deals and equitable revenue models has proven elusive, and crucially, CEOs often get blamed when results fall short.
Perhaps the most corrosive issue of all is the lack of continuity. Frequent turnover at the CEO level (and even at board leadership) disrupts strategic planning, weakens institutional memory, and deters potential investors or sponsors who crave stability. Running a football league effectively requires long-term planning, something impossible when executives are constantly on the brink of departure.
The phrase “poisoned chalice” has been used in the past to describe BFL leadership roles, even extending to board positions, because individuals often find themselves caught in the crossfire of conflicting expectations and limited authority.
One observer noted that those who take the helm quickly realise that the job’s prestige does not insulate them from political pressures and governance dysfunction.
Sekgororoane’s story is the latest chapter in this wider saga, emblematic of a role that, despite its importance, offers more criticism than control and more instability than influence.
As the Showa-led board scour the market for Sekgororoane’s replacement, there is a feeling that the CEO’s position will remain not just challenging but a poisoned chalice that consumes the ambitions of even the most competent administrators.