Sparks expected at softball AGM
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday November 27, 2020 13:47
During the last AGM held in April at the Oasis Motel, BSA affiliates passed a motion of no confidence on the executive committee, but the motion did not see the light of the day. The issue of non-compliance was used as a weapon against the mover of the motion, Laztborn Segaise. According to information, the BSA executive committee established that Segaise’s club, Eagles, did not have a bank account and therefore was not compliant with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
“The issue was to use the BSA constitution to expel Segaise’s club as it was not compliant with ROS hence its expulsion from BSA would be easy and the motion would die a natural death. The issue then failed because about 60% of BSA clubs were not ready to meet the set deadline (for compliance), hence the death of the motion on a technicality,” a club official said.
When asked if he would pass the motion again on Saturday, Segaise said affiliates had agreed that the motion would be tabled at the next AGM.
“It was agreed that the motion would be tabled at the next general meeting, so that automatically puts it on the agenda. However, the term of the executive committee is almost over, so members are still considering it,” Segaise said.
Softball holds its elections next April. Reduction of teams is the other issue expected to be discussed. The new format would see the introduction of major and minor leagues. “It is a contractual obligation. It is there in the first and second contracts. BoFiNeT has long pleaded with the executive committee to reduce clubs. The sponsor wants the contract to be followed as agreed because they pay per contract,” a source said. Currently, the northern zone has 12 men’s clubs and 10 women sides while the southern zone has 14 men and 12 women clubs. According to an agreement between BSA and BoFiNeT, reduction of clubs should have been implemented in 2018. The agreement was that two clubs would drop every season until six clubs are relegated. “In the end, there should be eight clubs in each zone. Last year, BoFiNeT wrote a letter saying they would pay clubs according to the contract. The headache that the executive committee has is who to cut and which modality to use. The 2019-2020 league did not end, so they could not cut the bottom clubs. There would be promotion and demotion between the two leagues,” a source said. BSA secretary-general, Anastacia Makwa said the competitions organiser would handle the issue of trimming clubs. “He would be presenting all the modalities and reasoning behind it. Regarding the motion, it does not matter if it is passed. We would gladly give them their office,” Makwa said. Competitions organiser, Donald Fologang said BoFiNeT wants BSA to restructure the league because they want more mileage.
“They want a few top clubs to sponsor like what is happening at Botswana Football Association (BFA), hence the reason we proposed major and minor leagues. We have long engaged the BSA membership and they never responded,” Fologang said. He added as the competition organiser, he wants to sell the idea to clubs. However, if the clubs reject the idea, Fologang said they should provide alternatives to be forwarded to BoFiNeT. But the sponsor wants the clubs trimmed as per the existing contract. “The challenge now is, where do we take those clubs?” Fologang wandered.