Cracks emerge in First Division North
Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday August 29, 2017 16:54
The divisions came to the fore when it took more than two hours for a weekend meeting to begin discussions on the agenda of the day. The meeting initially failed to form a quorum.
Chairperson Mpezeni Sambandawe and his secretary, Rapula Gaotlhobogwe were the only executive committee members who arrived on time while additional members Mengisto Chigala and Onalenna Dithakanyane arrived two hours late to rescue their leaders.
Luckily, a briefing by Botswana Football Association (BFA) competitions committee that was item eight on the agenda was pushed forward and opened proceedings to keep club representatives pre occupied. BFA competitions committee took the affiliates through the FIFA connect programme of registering on the FIFA database.
According to a close source, the chairperson and secretary general take critical decisions without consulting other members.
“That meeting cannot go ahead, it takes five members of the committee to form quorum and I know they will not make that number. It is time they (SG and chairperson) taste their own medicine,” the source said before the meeting on Saturday.
Nonetheless, the meeting went ahead with the four members at the top table. Gaotlhobogwe quashed reports of divisions in the committee and said most of the members who did not turn up have given reasons for their absence.
“Well there are some members that were absent without reasons. We have a committee meeting in a week or two and that is where we will learn of the reasons. Otherwise I am not aware of any dissatisfied members.”
In his address, Sambandawe said he is getting frustrated at the treatment they are getting from members of the First Division. He said football should be developing positive relationships. Instead what grows in the northern national league is enemies and politics. He said the leadership is being destroyed and sabotaged.
“I believe if a leader is lacking we should guide them so that they become a better leader in future, not to destroy him/her,” he said. “Let’s stay away from holding each other at ransom and work hard as a team and take football forward,” Sambandawe said.
He warned that all the clubs should accustom themselves with the play rules and regulations as going forth he will take stringent measures against those on the wrong side of the law.
“I encourage all the clubs to read and fully understand the play rules and regulations. Whoever will not play according to the rules will face the wrath of the law.”
He encouraged the clubs to take heed of the lessons brought forth by the BFA competitions committee so that they keep at par with modern football trends and to start preparing for club licensing.