Masters breaks silence
Mqondisi Dube | Friday May 29, 2015 14:37
l Implicates BFA officials
l Claims Sebego orchestrated plot to oust him
l BFA members, journalists watched the video, claim
l Who doesn’t have porn - he asks
In an explosive media statement, he accused an unnamed BFA official of orchestrating his arrest and eventual departure.
Masters said there were “a few photographs and short video on a private memory stick”.
“These were from a previous relationship and dated back to 2008/2009. The content of what was contained on the memory stick was nothing more then, probably, 95% of the male world population has on either his phone or computer therefore if possession of such in the context stated is a crime then why have the police not investigated many more persons?” he queried.
Masters said he had sniffed a conspiracy to remove him from office as early as January 5, 2015 when a member of the BFA executive committee began giving him orders despite this being beyond the member’s remit.
“He became very angry and shouted that he would ‘get me fired’ at the next NEC. As he left he informed my PA that he ‘had evidence’ which would get me fired.”
He said at the next executive committee meeting on January 9, he was asked to leave the meeting by the said member. Masters objected but said he was ordered to leave by BFA president, Tebogo Sebego and was never informed of the meeting’s deliberations.
He said he was later informed by certain people that he had up to February before being fired.
Masters said he asked how the people, who are involved in football but not BFA members, knew about the deadline.
He said they told him that one executive committee member had spilled the beans allegedly after he had a drink. On January 22, Masters said then acting BFA president, Marshlow Motlogelwa handed him a letter outlining certain action, which warranted disciplinary action. He said some of the accusations “were laughable” and it also demonstrated that he had enemies within the secretariat, in addition to those in the BFA executive committee. He said Motlogelwa was very supportive and informed Masters that he had been “traumatised” by the porn arrest, but Masters later said this turned out to be “false sympathy”.
Masters alleged that on January 27, a BFA staff member called a meeting, without any authority and informed staff about his ordeal.
He said the ‘porn’ video was shown to BFA executive members during their meeting on January 9. Masters claims local journalists have viewed the video as well, which was being shown by “the same person I have alluded to on several occasions”.
He said it was apparent the plot to oust him was orchestrated by the executive committee after watching the porn video. He particularly accuses BFA president, Tebogo Sebego. “As the NEC were shown the video on 9th January 2015 then, it is my opinion that this circumstantially proves that the conspiracy against me was perpetrated by the NEC and I am of the opinion that it was orchestrated by the President who gave instructions for nothing to happen until he was out of the country which he expected would deflect such away from him. Other members of the NEC were also involved although I must, of course, absolve any blame from Stephen Phetle, Arnold Somelekae and Oathusa Baoke who joined or rejoined the NEC after this had happened.”
Masters accuses the person who initially hatched the plan of being “corrupt and immoral” and accuses them of invading his privacy.
He said he made a written complaint about the said individual to Sebego, but the BFA president did not act.
“I made a written complaint setting out a number of aspects against the man to Sebego who I know has done nothing about them. It is my belief that if a person in a supervisory position receives a complaint about corruption and immorality and ignores it then that too is a form of corruption.”
He accuses the BFA executive committee of practising xenophobia through their actions. Masters denied he had failed in his duties, alleging all his proposed projects were rejected by the BFA. He describes the committee’s action as “evil, disgusting and despicable”. Masters said such actions contribute to companies staying away from sponsoring football.
“I am angry that I was prevented from doing a job that I loved by such persons and can only conclude that at the final day of retribution when they are arraigned at His bar they must fervently pray that His Mercy will avert the doom.”
l We wish him well
BFA constrained to comment- Sebego
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tebogo Sebego refused to comment last night regarding Keith Masters’ acerbic media statement saying the association signed a non-disclosure agreement with the former chief executive officer.
“We have signed a non-disclosure agreement with Keith and therefore I am constrained to say anything about him except to wish him well,” Sebego said from Zurich, Switzerland last night.
Masters was brought into Botswana in February 2013 but endured a tumultuous stay with his critics arguing he was underwhelming. He was particularly brought in to breathe fresh impetus to BFA’s commercialisation project and steer the perennially bankrupt association towards profitability.