Rapula quits as legal showdown looms

Mqondisi Dube | Friday February 16, 2018 17:00

 

GU general manager, Olebile Sikwane said Okaile cited personal reasons for leaving the club without elaborating.

“He said it was due to personal issues; he didn’t elaborate.

It has nothing to do with GU,” Sikwane said yesterday.

He said Okaile’s departure was a “monumental blow” to the struggling Gaborone giants, who have, at times, failed to shell out players’ dues.

This week, GU players went on strike demanding unpaid salaries.

“We are not covered (following Rapula’s departure).

He was the chief financier and a leader. At the time, we will have to go to (Nicholas) Zakhem to assist us.

He has always been assisting although Rapula has been our main financier.”

However, Sikwane expects the club to clear players’ outstanding salaries although the financial situation reportedly remains critical.

The club has been facing a torrid time since the departure of Zakhem as the chief sponsor two seasons ago, with infighting at the centre of damaging rows.

Some supporters took the matter to court and a decision is yet to be reached.

Okaile refused to comment on his departure yesterday.

His resignation comes at a time when his company, Capital Management Botswana (CMB) is involved in a high profile court battle with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund (BPOPF) over a P400million dispute.

CMB, which at some point managed P477 million of BPOPF funds, has been placed under statutory management.

Rapula is CMB’s chief executive officer.

Another firm, Bona Life, has also filed complaints with the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) against CMB.

The case will be heard at the High Court on March 9.