Ex-fencing president banned for three years
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday September 22, 2017 15:08
Mudongo is accused of leading a rebellion against a legitimately elected committee after he lost the presidency to Mandla Masuku in April.
Mudongo received his suspension letter, signed by BNSC chief executive officer (CEO), Falcon Sedimo on Wednesday evening.
The letter states that in the next three years, Mudongo is banned from holding any leadership position within the National Sport Associations (NSAs) or clubs affiliated to the BNSC. The suspension takes immediate effect.
“We take into account your role as the inaugural president of BAFS, since its establishment through facilitation of its registration with BNSC in 2014. It is an important role you among others contributed to the growth of the sport to where it is today,” reads part of the letter.
Sedimo said through the letter that the BNSC was satisfied with the outcome of BAFS annual general meeting (AGM) held on April 1. He said they are aware that Mudongo lost the elections for the position of president that he contested with Masuku. Sedimo said regrettably, two months into office (the new executive committee), Mudongo led the general membership of the association against its own leadership.
“We are in receipt of letters from fencing clubs that you led against their leadership distancing themselves from the decision to revolt against the committee.
It would appear from the Facebook posts that you perceive BAFS as your personal property hence nobody else should lead it,” the letter further reads.
Responding to the decision, Mudongo said he was disappointed and that people must realise that sport is not like “fire churches where you wake up and have magical powers.”
He said he will react accordingly to the letter.
He said his plan is to get back to his position as BAFS president and forget the letter.
“My fight against BNSC started at the 2017 AGM, where I told the chairman (Solly Reikeletseng) to stop micro-managing federations. I also told him that he was not running BNSC sports awards properly.
There is no proper date for the awards and even during the ceremony, it is only BNSC officials who shine on the night forgetting presidents of associations,” Mudongo argued.
He said during that meeting he also raised concern that the BNSC board was auctioning BNSC vehicles to themselves. He said since then, the Commission orchestrated his downfall.
He said even during the BAFS elections, the BNSC sent somebody to remove him from his position. He said clubs want him back and there is nothing that the BNSC can do about it.
Mudongo said initially, the BNSC had admitted that matters were not being run properly and they wanted to engage a commission of inquiry. He said that did not happen.
He said if there are clubs that are against him, as claimed by BNSC, he has never received any letter from them.
“These people are petty. There is a Facebook post that I like to update on my wall saying ‘Render unto Caesar what belong to Caesar.’
The CEO said the post means I own fencing. I do not know how he relates that to fencing. It is a desperate attempt to justify their actions. I am going to continue writing that,” Mudongo said.
He said it was disappointing that he was served with a suspension letter before he was called for a hearing.