BFA officials resign in Phikwe

MQONDISI DUBE
Correspondent | Thursday September 11, 2008 00:00

 

The development comes less than two months after the region held elections. The officials who have resigned are secretary Mokwadi Raditsebe and three additional committee members, Ernest Molapisi, James Makuni and Thomas Malesela. Only chairperson, Michael Molefe and his deputy, Masego Ntsatsi remain in the committee.
 The treasurer's position has not been filled meaning that the current committee cannot make a quorum to transact business.

The officials resigned after a fall-out with Molefe whom they say is a dictator.
They cite a case in which Molefe reversed a decision to honour his predecessor Tebro Onkabetse for his contribution to regional football. The resigned officials accuse Molefe of leaving out other committee members during the recent launch of the youth league.

They said the chairman unilaterally calls emergency meetings and threatens other officials. They stated that he does not follow the BFA constitution and runs the regional committee single-handedly.

Molefe has read malice in the resignations. He said the BFA legal adviser has given him the green light to co-opt new members though those who have resigned are demanding new elections. Molefe was elected regional chairperson in June after he dethroned the longest-serving Onkabetse.

The four officials who resigned were in the previous committee and their move is seen as a plot to oust Molefe.

Molefe has described the members' resignation as unprocedural. He said it was improper for the members to address their resignation letters to clubs before informing him. He has written to the BFA saying the fact that the contents of the resignation letters were the same, suggests that they were drafted by one person.

 He dismissed the claim that he was uncooperative as baseless.  'It does not follow that to run a regional office, the committee members must or must not agree with each other. The essential thing is that such disagreements should not interfere with the operations of the region, which fact I have taken pains to ensure,' Molefe said.

He said some issues raised by the aggrieved officials appear to be 'emotional outbursts'. He denied that he co-opted an official into the committee.

He said he overruled the committee's decision to honour Onkabetse because the nominee was part of the selection process.

'I rightly disapproved it because it did not look right or credible that when a region is asked to elect a deserving personality, then the same committee looks within itself for a deserving person,' Molefe said. He said a circular on the subject had been deliberately withheld by the previous committee.

He denied interfering with the duties of league committees. He stated that he had not sidelined other committee members during the launch of the youth league. He said all committee members were invited but the four who have resigned decided not to attend. He expressed surprise at the accusation that he threatened other officials.

'That I threatened any committee member is news to me, except that I said all committee members should pull together and that those who are left behind will be dealt with accordingly.'

Molefe said the secretary, Raditsebe, was never forced to resign but he asked to be excused from his duties. Molefe and Ntsatsi then asked Raditsebe to make the request in writing so that the region could lawfully co-opt a new official.

Molefe said he is justified in saying he would run the committee his way. 'It is crystal clear that some members do not condone change... no two different people can be the same.

'I do not find anything wrong with saying that my term in office will be different.'
He said holding fresh elections will be detrimental when the season has just kicked off.
He said the four officials who resigned did not want to take football forward.

The region plans a special general meeting to ratify the co-option of new officials.