Two withdraw from BRU presidential race
Calistus Kolantsho | Tuesday February 9, 2016 11:47
Jones said he opted out as his children go to school in Pretoria, South Africa and that means he has to travel each weekend. He said as such, he would not be doing justice to the rugby fraternity. Meanwhile, Jones shot down accusations that he had failed to secure sponsorship to develop a rugby stadium.
“We have no rights to the land that is supposedly ours. We have not been given the title deed for that land. Despite that, the facility that is needed is expensive. We need P500 million to build a high standard stadium. Where can you get such sponsorship?” asked Jones. For the first time in the history of BRU, four candidates have shown interest in challenging for the presidency during elections to be held on February 20.
Other candidates who have also shown interest are Mpho Masisi and Munya Mhonda.
Before Jones announced his withdrawal there was the contentious issue of two officials being nominated from the same club. Jones and Gilbert belong to Gaborone Hogs.
Speaking to Mmegi Sport this week, the BRU development officer, Zilwele Khumalo said the constitution was silent on determining the number of candidates a club can endorse. He said they are yet to consult on the matter. He said nomination forms for candidates who are contesting for election were ready for collection. He said completed forms should be returned today.
Mhonda made it clear that he was not backing down from contesting for the presidency. He said there was no need for Gilbert to be given another chance to lead BRU because he does not bring anything new.
“How does a club endorse two candidates? It shows there is no cohesion,” reacted Mhonda.
For his part, Gilbert confirmed that he is contesting for presidency. He said upon his ascendancy to the top rugby office in the country, he would drive drastic changes. He said such changes include the BRU structure. He said BRU staff should also be trained and even taken outside the country for benchmarking.
“I want to have a strong working committee. Each person is going to be given a portfolio that they will be focusing on. We should have proper budgeting if we are to move forward. I want the union to have good governance,” he said.
Another person who had shown interest in the presidency, Masisi, said he has decided to withdraw from the race. He said the decision was due to work commitments. He said that would make it difficult for him to fulfill his duties as president. Despite that, Masisi said Gilbert had suggested that they reach a compromise to avoid splitting votes.