. According to the court papers, the applicant in the matter is BOKA while the respondents are Moses Tubego, Boitumelo Koone, Bose Caiphus, Veronica Chube, Kaone Molefe, Amos Sianga, Moemedi Mpebe, Clifford Tshosa, Keorapetse Mogopodi, Ookeditse Malesu, Etololang Serumola, Kealeboga Madisa, Phenyo Seiteo, Lemogang Koolepole, Mpho Kenosi, Dick Othusitse and Angelo Tlagae.
However, some individuals who attended the SGM such as Christopher Ponatshego, Tshepho Bathai, Joe Molodi, Keone Kgorotlhe have not been cited in the court papers. Speaking to SportMonitor, BOKA president, Mpho Bakwadi, said he had no option but to approach the High Court because some people had created two centres of power for the organisation. “The only solution was to nip it in the bud. We cannot discuss anything with non-BOKA members and the matter has now escalated. Their intention is to destroy, not to solve any problems. They want to take the office through fraudulent means and I cannot allow that. They have even tarnished my name in the process; enough is enough. I have requested them to give me SGM minutes, they refused. Let us allow the court to deal with this matter,” he said.
Bakwadi also said if people opposed to his leadership did things properly, he was going to hand over power without resistance especially that it is a voluntary position. For his part, Mogopodi said they had not done much regarding the response to the court papers because some of the respondents had not been served by Sunday evening. Ever since the SGM, where an interim committee led by Mogopodi was voted, there have been two centres of power within karate. The fracas started when disgruntled BOKA members wrote a letter to the executive committee inviting them to the SGM. In turn, BOKA wrote a letter in January to individual affiliates that had signed the letter, being Kofukan, Ryushin-Kan and Shito-Ryu Shukokai, warning them against collaborating with non-BOKA members. “The letter received indicates that your federations have been working with individuals or organisations that are not recognised or affiliated with BOKA by signing a petition. Such collaborations are in direct violation of BOKA regulations and compromise the integrity of our governing structure,” the letter read. BOKA went on to suspend Kofukan and Shito-Ryu Shukokai in February. However, during the SGM the members agreed to lift the suspension and also reinstate Karate Nomichi and Goju-Ryu.
