The legal fees arose after a case in which the BFL, alongside Ratlhaga, were dragged to court over a meeting in Palapye meant to oust then-chairperson, Nicholas Zakhem. The meeting held in December 2023, was declared illegal by the court, and the BFL and Ratlhaga were to pay the costs. Ratlhaga and the BFL had been cited as respondents and Zakhem reportedly argued that each entity should settle its costs. But Mamelodi told MmegiSport that it was only right for the BFL to pay the legal fees. "The shareholders met in Palapye but the court ruled that the meeting was null and void. After Zakhem won the case, there were three respondents, including the league, Ratlhaga, and (Tebogo) Toteng. The legal fees were taken to Ratlhaga and we felt it was unfair to burden one person," Mamelodi said.
"We had other shareholders in Palapye. He did not go there alone. Zakhem wanted Ratlhaga to pay alone. There was a deputy sheriff chasing the P120, 000 debt," Mamelodi said. Ratlhaga tried unsuccessfully to remove Zakhem and Jagdish Shah from the BFL board with the Gaborone High Court citing procedural issues and lack of urgency. The court also ordered Ratlhaga to pay court costs, as well as costs to Zakhem and Shah, for their unsuccessful attempt to remove them. Zakhem questioned why it was the BFL, and not Ratlhaga, who paid the legal costs. The long-running leadership wrangles at the BFL cooled when a new board, led by Peter Kesitilwe, was elected last year.
