Babitseng beats odds to land BFA post
Mqondisi Dube | Friday August 15, 2014 11:38
Mmegi Sport: What are your immediate priorities?
Babitseng: We need to roll out the strategic plan that is in place. We need our affiliates to know the strategy (which was developed recently).
The strategy focuses on the commercial aspect of the game and policies that are going to improve our game including development. It will affect the secretariat as we seek to improve.
Mmegi Sport: There have been concerns that the vice president (administration)’s office has not been visible enough. What are you going to do differently?
Babitseng: The VP administration is the heart and soul of BFA. For you to see where football is going, administration is key in everything. The secretariat needs to work as a team. That’s when you can see the fruits.
Mmegi Sport: Are you implying people have not been pulling in the same direction?
Babitseng: From what I see, if it was a well-oiled machine, you wouldn’t be asking that question. There are hiccups, but for us to put them right we need to know exactly what are the issues from the staff (at the secretariat). We need to know the problems and how they can be addressed.
Mmegi Sport: How big is the issue of factionalism at present?
Babitseng: When (BFA president, Tebogo) Sebego ascended the position two years back, we promised to kill factions. We said we will use people on merit and we are still not aligned to any faction.
Mmegi Sport: But you belong to a faction?
Babitseng: I cannot say I belong to a faction because we work with different groups. I don’t think there is factionalism unless if people look at it differently or I don’t know the meaning of faction. I was born in football out of the love of football and not factions. People want to use the issue of factions to suit themselves.
Mmegi Sport: What is Friends of Football and is it still alive?
Babitseng: It is alive. It’s a group of people who does not belong to any faction, who is steeped in football principles, love football and wants to see football grow.
Mmegi Sport: Those who do not belong to this grouping are not “friends of football”?
Babitseng: Anybody who subscribes to the same principles is a friend of football. The reason why we came up with this name is that we did not want to be perceived to be factionalists. “Friends of football” are those driving football forward, without issues of belonging to a certain group.
Mmegi Sport: Most people put your election down to the president (Sebego) more than your own effort?
Babitseng: I would not say it was more because of the president. We share the same philosophy.
Two years back we sold the philosophy (to affiliates) and it was adopted. Now we needed somebody to drive that philosophy.
Most of what we sold to the public two years back was not done because there was resistance.
I would not say it was because of the president (that I was elected). People still believe in the philosophy that the president sold to them. The people wanted to give us a chance to show the public that the philosophy can work.
Mmegi Sport: If the results are a reflection of how people perceive the philosophy then the support is dwindling as the margin is slim. Are there doubts over the philosophy?
Babitseng: Prior to the election, there were a lot of negative things being said. Even if the margin was slim (Babitseng beat Segolame Ramotlhwa by only three votes), the majority still says they want the philosophy. This was the test and given the chance, we need to prove to the people that the philosophy is indeed working.
Mmegi Sport: You have been talking about commercialisation in your campaign. Do you see this project coming to fruition?
Babitseng: It has been two years of trying to show people the other side. Football has not been making money, or it has not been taken as a product. That is the challenge we had initially but now we can see where we are going. It is just implementation that is left. We have got hostels and the all weather surface (to utilise). We feel if we employ the right people to drive commercialization, we can lessen dependence on the government.
Mmegi Sport: Can you give a time frame?
Babitseng: It’s part of the strategic plan and it ends in 2018. That is when we can reflect.
Right now we are gearing for the implementation of this strategy.
Mmegi Sport: Similar issues keep cropping up regarding the Zebras. What will you do to turn the situation around?
Babitseng: There are no policies guiding everybody. Worldwide, when the national team assemblies, everyone has a contract. Here, there is nothing on paper which is binding. We just pray each time that a national team player abides by the rules that we give them verbally.
Until we start putting policies that will guide us, we will still be singing the same song.
We need to workshop the technical team and players of what is expected of them. We need to engage the teams as well; they need to know what kind of contract we enter with the player when he is with the national team.
Mmegi Sport: There was an issue involving you regarding fraud. Can you be trusted to handle affairs at BFA?
Babitseng: In football everybody is looked at as trying to eat something from the association when it is in fact, depleted. There were people who thought I had done something wrong, but the Disciplinary Committee cleared me. It was just one of those things that as politicians of football, we are ready to handle. This was meant to derail somebody in their quest to find solutions (for football). We should try to build and not break each other.
Mmegi Sport: Do affiliates trust you?
Babitseng: They trust me, you can see with the votes. If they did not trust me they would not have voted for me.
Mmegi Sport: What kind of relationship do you have with Sebego?
Babitseng: (giggles) He is my president, we share the same philosophy in football. We disagree to agree on certain things. We always try to see where football can benefit. Outside football, he plays Sunday soccer, I do not. He has his law firm, I have got my small business. Basically we compliment each other.
Mmegi Sport: Some view your election as a move to protect Sebego’s presidency and that you are a ‘yes’ man?
Babitseng: We agree to disagree. We always have difference of opinion. We try and show the world that we are working for a common cause. We need to be united.
Mmegi Sport: Anything you want to say?
Babitseng: As you know, the Zebras have qualified and we appeal to fans to support the team. The team needs funds as you are aware the BFA does not have money. People should also be aware that while we are competing, we are building a team for the future. I appeal to regions to take development seriously. Football has to be played from development up to competition level.
Mmegi Sport: There is a feeling that regions and women’s football are neglected?
Babitseng: Yes, the reason why people feel that way is because implementation has been slow. Women’s football should be played countrywide, that is one aspect that needs to be done with immediate effect. We have money that needs to be used for the development of youth, both girls and boys.