Finger-pointing heightens as BFA elections loom
Kabelo Boranabi | Saturday August 31, 2024 06:00
Boardroom squabbles this week spilt before cameras and microphones as the Botswana Football Association (BFA) elective congress approaches.
It appeared as if a quiet campaign on the surface ahead of the September 14 polls, but in the past week, temperatures have reached boiling point. Ntshingane has been invited to the ring by Zakhem as presidential contest rivals, Tariq Babitseng and incumbent, Maclean Letshwiti keep away from the press. In front of a packed GU training facility conference room on Wednesday, Zakhem launched a no-holds-barred contest in his response to the allegations made by Ntshingane. The latter, who serves as the BFA's first vice president launched his campaign last week Thursday.
In his speech, Ntshingane seemed to take a jibe at Zakhem as he promised a BFA administration that was not controlled by external forces. Zakhem has been accused of remote controlling Letshwiti and is said to be the one calling the shots at the Lekidi Football Centre. On Wednesday, the business mogul publicly threw his weight behind Letshwiti's candidature. “I had a conflict with Nicholas Zakhem because I believed he was intervening in matters where his involvement was unwarranted. My commitment has always been to advocate for Botswana football,” Ntshingane said recently. The former Zebras’ captain, who has served in the two terms under Letshwiti, has always maintained that he had left the camp due to external interference that has led to the deterioration of the standards of the local game. In his response, Zakhem accused Ntshingane of trying to get rich using the game. Zakhem said Ntshingane is one of the directors of the local sportswear company, Dlala, and throughout his term in office, he used his position to sell the clothing label to at least eight clubs in the elite league. He further said he wanted Ntshingane out of the Botswana Football League (BFL) because, by virtue of his association with Dlala, he was conflicted.
The outgoing BFL chairperson said football leaders should be transparent and their personal business activities should not interfere with the football office duties. Zakhem also said the BFA executive committee had opted for a local manufacturer to dress national teams and penned a deal with All Kasi. He said All Kasi’s return was met with much resistance from Lekidi as Ntshingane wanted to influence the technical sponsor contract Dlala’s way. “The other competitor was not happy that they did not get the tender. And who was the other competitor? One of them was Dlala. He will definitely terminate All Kasi (contract) if he gets the presidency because he wants to give that to his company. Until such time when we say stop this nonsense, you as a volunteer should not be doing business (in football),” Zakhem said. “I did not come to BFL and involvement with football to enrich myself or sell my product. I did not come as a volunteer and take the opportunity to do my own thing. Yes, I am against people who sit on the NEC (National Executive Committee) to do any business with football. I have said it to Letshwiti, to Masego and Max (Maokaneng Bontshetse), to Tariq and I will say it to anyone. Come to football as a volunteer and stay away from dealing with football activities,” Zakhem said.