First Division South assembly postponed-again
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday June 16, 2015 12:46
Delays in the conclusion of the Premier League and numerous protests within the First Division South league necessitated the postponement.
The Premier League was only concluded on Wednesday, with Notwane taking their place in the First Division South league. The league committee chairperson, Sam Keitireng said they had sought a waiver from the Botswana Football Association (BFA) to postpone the weekend meeting.
Initially, the assembly was supposed to be held before May 31, but had to be postponed due to unresolved protests. Three protests had led to the delay as they were supposed to be dealt with before the assembly could be held. Keitireng said the meeting would review the past season and map the way forward.
BFA acting chief executive officer, Susan Lawrence said the association had to deal with some issues particularly the Notwane-Satmos relegation issue, which affected other leagues.
She said even the Premier League was forced to postpone its assembly and the First Division South is allowed to follow suit. First Division representative in the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC), Eatametse Olopeng yesterday said he was unaware of the postponement.
He said the general assembly should have been held before June 15, otherwise it would be unconstitutional after the date.
Meanwhile, Olopeng said the First Division South should benchmark with the First Division North. Olopeng, who is also the chairperson for First Division North League suggested that the league chairperson should be a neutral person. “Some of the clubs have just relegated from the Premier League and they have better understanding of the rules.
“When they get into the lower league, they should find people with a better understanding of the game,” he said. Olopeng said the First Division North had challenges before and they learnt from them hence their league is running smoothly.
He said the main problem with the First Division South was that they never seek advice when facing challenges. He said in some instances they take action without being guided by the BFA constitution. Olopeng said the league should also seek advice from the BFA legal advisor.