BFA shoots down suspended FDN members' accusations

Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Friday May 7, 2021 14:47

Waiting for justice: The Botswana Football Association (BFA) says the case of suspended First Division North Committee members with PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG .

The suspended committee members have repeatedly accused the association of deliberately delaying their case until their term elapses.

During a recent interview, suspended chairperson, Mpenzeni Sambandawe said the BFA has constantly showed no urgency in dealing with the matter to its conclusion.

He said they believe that the delay is done deliberately so that the interim committee remains in office until the end of the four-year term. However, BFA chief executive officer, Goabaone Taylor said the delay in dealing with the matter has been caused by the fact that both parties were ordered to prepare a joint minute of issues to be placed before the chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee (DC).

She said the parties were not able to do so and the term of the DC board members at the time came to an end. Taylor also explained that the new committees, which were appointed at the last general assembly, had to be inducted first before commencing work. She said the matter and any other pending cases will be heard in the near future.

“You will recall that the suspended members had taken the BFA NEC before the DC on the basis that it had taken long to attend their case and pleaded that their charges be quashed and they be reinstated but they did not succeed.

The appeals committee decided in BFA’s favour and also stated that justice should take its course because of the nature of the alleged offences,” she said. Taylor also said as long as the matter remains unsolved, the league will be administered by an interim committee. She said it would be unfair to allow teams to elect a substantive committee while the incumbent is still on suspension.

“We have not contravened any statute of the BFA by having the league operate under an interim committee. Our desire is that the matter be concluded so that there be closure,” she said.

Taylor added the association wants all cases placed before the judicial structures to be attended to within a reasonable period of time.

She also said they have since taken a deliberate step this year to have an induction for all the committees so that they are well equipped and ready to deliver on their assignments. “We are quite optimistic that there will be a change in the manner in which our judiciary structures have been operating,” she said.