FUB secretary-general, Kgosana Masaseng said nearly 50 cases remain unresolved from previous seasons. Masaseng said most clubs are still struggling to stick to contractual obligations.
This comes despite the Botswana Football Association (BFA) introduction of Club Licensing, which was envisaged to eliminate some of the problematic areas. A benchmarking exercise was carried out in Spain in 2018, where upon return, the BFA vowed to adopt financial controls which helped some Spanish clubs stay afloat.
At the time, the BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo Mfolo had indicated that the system used by the Spanish sides meant clubs spent within their means. But Masaseng said the situation remains a concern, particularly that there is a slow resolution of cases. “I can only say that we (and the BFA) are in a transition period where we are trying to deal with statutory issues to improve the dispute resolution mechanisms because there have been constant delays in resolving cases before the national dispute resolution chamber,” Masaseng said yesterday.
We still have cases before the chamber that are yet to be resolved. Teams are still not paying players and, of recent, there has been a rise in unilateral termination of contracts. Or worse, some players were released on the eve of the deadline, which limited their options to find new employment,” he added. The local game has faced cash challenges with clubs struggling to consistently pay staff.
Some clubs have been dragged before the world body, FIFA over salary disputes, with Extension Gunners recently ordered to pay its defender, Desire Bafana P400,000 owed. The Botswana Premier League has been hit by a lack of sponsorship which has affected the clubs’ cash flows while game attendance has not improved, as some teams rely on gate-takings.
