BFA elections to trigger full-blown war
Mqondisi Dube | Friday January 10, 2020 11:33
Four years ago, the football family voted businessman, Maclean Letshwiti into office, after lawyer, Tebogo Sebego had faced testing questions over his leadership. Almost four years down the line, Letshwiti is facing some scrutiny, with news that teams might exit the playing fields empty handed at the end of the season, likely to have a telling effect.
Just before the end of Sebego’s tenure, there were endless protests in the league, which dragged the season way beyond its conclusion date. There were reports of maladministration in the Premier League and the association was in financial doldrums. This swayed some votes in Letshwiti’s favour.
But today, some questions still linger. The league is facing serious financial challenges, largely due to the BTC sponsorship issues. BTC reduced the sponsorship from P13million to just P5million this season, which left the league facing a damaging deficit.
The BFA committee redeemed itself in some areas, but the latest league wounds might linger longer.
Battles of attrition have long started, with Sebego credited with interest in the top post.
Letshwiti, who initially said he wanted one term, has indicated he would be standing for another tenure.
As the campaign battles took an early shape, Sebego indicated that some of his football allies, were being purged from office. But the Letshwiti administration argued it had to apply the law regardless of affiliation.
A recent motion to align the terms of officials, was seen, in the eyes of critics, as an underhand tactic to prolong Letshwiti’s stay in office.
Campaigns are expected to explode into a full blown war in the coming months, as Botswana awaits another decisive moment in football.