Township Rollers ruling could discourage investors

Monitor Editor | Monday August 10, 2015 17:32

While on the surface it may look like the ruling puts the club safely in the hands of the people and safeguards exploitation, in truth the ruling can have adverse effects on the prospects of Botswana’s elite clubs and Botswana football’s prospects of growth; more especially its potential to attract investors who could help in turning the local football professional.

The ruling comes in the backdrop of several leading clubs turning professional and in the process attracting investors who have ploughed in millions of Pula.

Their millions have not only improved the level of the game, the standard of living of the footballers, especially where the investors have ploughed in, is simply desirable.

Here we are talking about the likes of Township Rollers, Gaborone United, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, BMC, to name a few which have attracted a number of investors.

What is saddening however is the emerging trend among some supporters of these clubs with newly acquired wealth. They seem to cause all sorts of discomfort to the new club owners, even rushing to courts of laws to frustrate the investors.

We call upon the Botswana Football Association to help guide the law processes so that even courts of law can start appreciating that a football club can be run professionally, as a property of a particular investor.

It should be clear to the laws of Botswana that it is permissible for a person or a company to own and manage a football club. It is happening in neighbouring South Africa and other professional set ups.

It is high time Botswana laws protect investors who have initiated takeovers at some clubs that used to be community entities. When such investors have ploughed in their multi-millions like in the case of Jagdish Shah, Zakhem at Gaborone United, Jamali at Centre Chiefs, such investors ought to be protected by (the) law and not to be frustrated like it seems to be the case.

It is our humble view that such protection would go a long way in attracting more investors, creating sustainable employment for our young people and contributing to our economic growth.