BFL saga: Eyes on the ball

Mqondisi Dube | Monday January 15, 2024 16:00

No one is prepared to blink with the ugly spate unfolding in front of a stunned nation as each corner chases what has been an elusive victory thus far. However, both camps are claiming victory at this stage with football emerging as the biggest loser as action has been halted.

Amid the fierce boardroom battles for the control of local football, the rules of engagement are being trampled upon with impunity. Even in a war, there are laid down rules as spelt out in the 1949 Geneva Convention. But with the BFL fight, the tankers are rolling in relentlessly and recklessly.

Eyes are no longer on the ball. It is a fight that is now being used wittingly as a weapon to settle personal scores and even drag individuals who would otherwise conveniently stay out of such cat wars. Egos are constantly being inflated and no group is prepared to blink in what is akin to the scorched earth policy.

Will there be anything left at the end of this gripping fight? Football is the country’s most popular sport which is why the fight has drawn in the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture and its minister, Tumiso Rakgare. It is a fight too tantalising to ignore. However, in the midst of attempts to land the biggest blow, the warring factions are losing the plot.

Everyone wants to appear the cutest and appeal to the general public for sympathy. But this case cannot be fought on likes or who is standing with who. It must be purely on merit and let the judicial bodies make their pronouncements without undue influence. There has been a general lack of respect for the rule of law as despite the case being before a judiciary body, contempt of court is seemingly the order of the day. Focus has also shifted to petty personal attacks, with some bordering on xenophobia. Surely the aim for some is to score political points ahead of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) elections later this year.

Curiously, the ministry in this case has been swift and proactive in addressing the football challenges, yet they have conveniently let other warring codes go scot free; in the public eye that is. Karate has longed for attention through its internecine wars, but the ministry deemed the code not attractive enough to warrant quick intervention. All 48 (if am correct) Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) codes must be given equal treatment. The minister’s efforts are appreciated but he must tread with caution and not allow his emotions and possibly, personal fights get in the way of an honest effort to resolve the BFL impasse. He is a parent for all.