Rollers beef-up security ahead of AGM
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Friday January 29, 2016 14:56
The make-or-break meeting follows years of internal squabbles over the issue of privatising the club. The club co-chairperson, Walter Kgabung said they have beefed up security for the meeting following unrest that took place between club supporters following their 2-1 loss to BR Highlanders last Saturday.
“We are in contact with the security organs, especially the police because we want everyone to feel safe at the meeting,” he said. After the loss against BR Highlanders, some sections of supporters reportedly bayed for one of the interim committee members, Mookodi Seisa’s blood. Police officers and some of the club members had to intervene and call for order.
However, Kgabung said every Rollers supporter should feel free to come to the meeting including Seisa since they have beefed up security.
“We should not condone what happened in Molepolole and every Rollers member should come to this meeting. We have always been known as a club that does not encourage violence, so we are not going to allow any unrest,” he said.
He appealed to Rollers supporters to remain calm and accept that a difference in opinion is healthy in any organisation. He said besides the police, they expect about 50 private security officers at the meeting as well as about 10 bouncers. Seisa was among some members who took the club to court challenging the manner in which it was run.
They successfully won the case with Justice Leatile Dambe ruling that it is unconstitutional for the club to be run by a company, Township Holdings. Businessmen, Somerset Gobuiwang and Jagdish Shah each own 40 percent in the company with the society getting the remaining 20 percent. But despite the ruling, the club has never tasted peace with two camps firing shots at each other until the intervention of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) president, Tebogo Sebego. His intervention gave birth to the formation of an interim committee, which included members from both camps.
The committee was to seek a lasting solution to the impasse, but there have been reports that the two camps have never managed to work together.
The issue has now reached a boiling point with some supporters threatening to take the law into their own hands.
Tomorrow’s meeting is expected to give direction on which model to follow with regard to luring investors into the club. It will also touch on the constitution amendment in order to accommodate investors.
Importantly, the club will also hold election for the new executive committee, one item on the agenda, which is expected to draw a lot of attention and emotions from members of the club. Kgabung as well as Dr Edwin Dikoloti have publicly declared their candidature for the position of the chairperson. He said all Rollers supporters who have their cards will be eligible to cast their votes. “But I must state that they will have to produce their identity cards as well just to make it easier for authorities to prove the card belongs to the holder,” Kgabung said.
Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) chairperson, Solly Reikeletseng will be the guest of honour at the meeting.