Babitseng, Zakhem call for ceasefire
Mqondisi Dube | Sunday September 29, 2024 11:55
Making his inaugural speech at the Botswana Football League general assembly on Wednesday, Babitseng said he had been bitterly persecuted by the previous regime, but it would be counterproductive for him to seek revenge.
In the build-up to the BFA elections, Babitseng was twice elbowed out of the race and had the BFA Election Appeals Committee to thank for overturning the initial decision.
Babitseng went on to defeat incumbent, Maclean Letshwiti and Masego Ntshingane in the first round of the presidential election held in Palapye on September 14.
Sensing defeat, Letshwiti withdrew before the second round, where he was due to face Babitseng, while Ntshingane, who had got only one vote, was eliminated. But while the elections had polarised football, Babitseng pledged to stitch together the pieces.
First, he promised to hand back BFL autonomy after previous leaders took drastic action to strip the organ of its independence.
'I committed that I will give autonomy back to the BFL. We met as the executive committee and that has been agreed. The autonomy means a lot and I want to promise you that it is here to stay,' Babitseng said to a round of applause.
He promised the BFL that the new BFA leadership will fully support the Premier League body. But he was quick to remind the delegates that autonomy does not mean absolute independence as they fall under the BFA.
'We give you the right to govern yourself. However, we are guided by the BFA, CAF and FIFA constitutions to run football in Botswana. Please do not make me regret giving you back the autonomy,' he said.
Babitseng said while all Premier League clubs had managed to secure licenses to participate in the league next season, there were still grey areas.
'That you managed to get licenses does not mean you have arrived. Most of you do cut and paste and that has to stop. We don't want you to think that you complied now, then it means everything is okay,' he said.
Babitseng said there is a need to induct all clubs on the processes of the First Instance Body, which is responsible for the licensing. He then turned to the difficult period in the build-up to the elections. Babitseng said the time for politics is 'done and dusted' promising to engage people on merit and not because they campaigned for him.
'I was persecuted by the previous regime. I have said to them, I want us to do things right together. If I am prepared to do that, I expect you to also do the same.' 'I was always in the newspapers people saying I embezzled funds. Whatever we went through, let football be the winner at the end of the day,' Babitseng said. Taking to the podium, outgoing BFL chairperson, Nicholas Zakhem admitted strained relations in the past and the need to move forward. 'We have had obstacles in the past. I agree with everyone; let's put the past behind us. We need reconciliation. Otherwise, the game we love will suffer. 'There was a new dawn in Palapye; let us embrace the changes. If we do not leave disagreements behind, we will not progress,' Zakhem said. The meeting ushered in new BFL leadership led by new board chairperson Peter Kesitilwe, and independent director Sipho Showa.