Mass resignations rock fencing
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday June 15, 2018 12:17
The committee members who jumped ship are Thato Gleeson (public relations officer), Maatla Basha (vice president), Gosego Nkwe (treasurer) and Koketso Masena. Bashi Lechaena, an additional member was given the boot. Basha told Mmegi Sport he resigned due to personal reasons. “I realised that I have been in the sport for a long time,” Basha said. “I thought that maybe I blocked its growth. The other reason was that there was a court case that I was involved in. The former president took us to court.”
Basha added that the case hampered progress and there was a point when Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) had halted their calendar of events. He said the case was a threat to his, and Nkwe’s profession, as an accountant and a member of the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA).
He said it is regressive for their names to be continually mentioned in bad light in court. For his part, Gleeson said he resigned because he did not agree with the direction that the leadership was taking. “I feel the leadership does not have a long term strategy. Fencing is regressing. They do not have objectives,” Gleeson revealed.
Masena said it was a voluntary resignation. “I am a fencer and I felt that being in the committee took my attention, therefore it was affecting my performance. This year I decided to focus on one role, which is playing the sport,” Masena said.
BAFS PRO, Ewetse Khama played down the resignations saying there have been some changes in the leadership of BAFS.
“Masena and Gleeson are pursuing other interests. Masena, who is a top fencer stepped down from the executive committee because he wants to focus on developing his skills in the sport,” Khama said. The leadership has appointed Philani Mazibuko (vice president), Girlie Ketsile (treasurer) and Tumo Molelekwa (additional member). Khama said Molelekwa is a member of BICA. He explained that BAFS has postponed the AGM mainly to accommodate the process of change in the leadership.
“The BNSC was kept aware of developments at BAFS and has been requested to issue funds, which would enable us to convene the AGM. We expect the AGM to be held in July,” Khama said.