Tempers Flare At BTA Meeting
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday November 28, 2016 15:26
It was clear the affiliates came to the meeting with one agenda in mind: to remove the committee. The situation got out of control forcing the BTA to bring the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) to offer advice. The mother body advised the association to postpone the meeting to February 2017. It also advised the current committee to remain in charge. The bone of contention was that the majority of the clubs have not complied with the Registrar of Societies and the BTA, hence the BNSC decision to postpone the meeting. The postponement is meant to give the clubs time to legalise their status with the two bodies. Out of the 16 affiliates, only two clubs, Orapa and Notwane have complied.
Gaborone club representative, Dr Jerome Mafeni said BTA was in a crisis and it was necessary to act. “This means BTA does not have members. We are starting afresh the way things are going. We have to suspend the constitution and the agenda in order to come up with a solution that will take us out of this situation. We are not forming a quorum because all of us are illegal entities. Even the executive committee has overstayed in the office,” Mafeni said.
He said the only way forward was to elect an interim committee that will assist clubs to comply. He said the committee will be given a time frame and a mandate to follow, then set a date for an elective meeting. The house agreed with Mafeni on electing an interim committee. That did not go well with BTA vice chairman, Dr Khaulani Fichani who said it was not possible for the interim committee to be elected as the majority of the clubs were illegal. “That is why we had to call in the BNSC to assist us. We gave you an opportunity to come up with solutions but you failed. How do we take decisions with only two clubs that are compliant? It is either you comply or not,” he said.
Fichani said if the executive committee was illegal, BNSC could have long kicked them out. BTA chairman, Nelson Amanze said it was not the first time BNSC has been invited to provide guidance. He said BNSC is the custodian of Botswana sport. Amanze said the idea of an interim committee was welcome or he can give BNSC a chance to run the BTA, meaning that his committee will be dissolved. “But if we give the BNSC to run the association, we will be taking tennis backwards. That will not be good for the sport,” Amanze said.