Disgruntled Rollers members win court battle

Kabelo Boranabi | Friday August 7, 2015 18:00

Off the field changes: As Rollers gear up for their first match of the season tomorrow night the management is facing a new challenge from yesterday's court ruling

Rollers’ chairman, Walter Kgabung representing the respondents told Mmegi Sport that they are yet to make a decision on the next step.

“We have to first read and understand the judgement that is when we will decide on the way forward,” he said.

Spencer Mmui, representing the applicants, expected the group to meet the current committee last night to map the way forward.

“We will meet the current executive committee this evening (last night) to discuss amongst others, the issue of sponsorship and the investor as we were supposed to do so at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) we had in 2012,” he said.

High Court judge, Leatile Dambe ruled the club’s society should take control in the running of the club. She cited it is not in the constitution and contradicts the Societies Act if a society is run by a commercial entity. The club’s commercial arm, Township Holdings runs the affairs of Township Rollers.

“No individual or entity should run the club but it should be run by the society’s executive committee as of when the papers were filed,” she said.

The affairs of the society have been run by Township Holdings since the arrival of investor, Jagdish Shah in 2012.

Mookodi Seisa and others took the club’s director, Somerset Gobuiwang and Township Holdings to court in a bid to wrestle back the control of the club. Gobuiwang brought Shah to the club and since 2012 the club has turned into Botswana’s version of Real Madrid, signing ‘Galaticos’ and is rumoured to be paying handsome salaries. It has also become a rather marketable commodity as in the last season, it earned P6 million despite not winning any silverware. The court ruling is likely to change dynamics with the victorious group keen to have a say in the running of the club.