BFA VP accused of sabotage
Sport
Members of the Regional football associations serving in the Botswana Football Association (BFA) national executive committee are said to be throwing out their toys, after vice president finance, Marshlow Motlogelwa refused to pay their mileage claims.
For some time now, members of the executive committee residing outside Gaborone are expected to file claims with the finance department whenever they attend official BFA meetings. However, investigations carried out by Weekend Sport reveal that owing to the high tempo of factions within the association, some members could have manipulated the practise, ripping off the association in the process.
Currently, four members of the regional football associations representing regional blocks are under the microscope regarding the claims they have made from the association.
Last week Motlogelwa is said to have brought an end to the looting by the regional chairmen who spend all their time after meetings chasing the mileage claims.
It is reported that a number of chairmen, among them, Baoke from Gantsi, Kgato Motai from Nhabe, Lesego Leaketsa of Southern region, and Ikgopoleng representing Francistown block have been making the mileage claims although they never travel to the meetings with cars to warrant compensation from the BFA.
The only person who has been consistently coming with his car to NEC meetings and BFA official duties is First division north chairperson, Eatametse Olopeng.
According to an insider, Olopeng would at times drive his colleagues from the hotel to the NEC meetings, with some claiming that their cars were being serviced.
According to reports coming from Lekidi football centre, Motai would sometimes be booked for a flight, which is considered less costly than travelling by road. He however is said to have refused travelling by air, preferring the road trip.
He is further accused of travelling by bus, and then later claiming mileage, though he had not used his car. When reached for comment, Motai refuted the claims, asking, “Who told you that?” I use my own car and I know this is a deliberate move to decampaign us,” he said. When asked if he ever travelled by flight because it’s cheaper, the Nhabe region chairman said, “Some circumstances force me to use my private car.”
As for Leaketsa, he is accused of often arriving from Kanye a day before the meeting and forcing another sleep over, even if the meeting ended by lunch time. Just last week, the chairmen were booked at Masa Centre for two nights at P3600.00.
Although the meeting ran only until lunch time, Leaketsa who stays in Kanye was booked into the hotel, when there is evidence that some people commute from Kanye on a daily basis, some without cars, yet they hike back every day without fail.
When asked about the accusations labelled at him he said, “I am not a devil in my life, I cannot do that. I use my car and if there are some people trying to destroy my good image, the truth shall come out,” he said.
The recent chaos has meanwhile brought into question the BFA’s financial control systems. When contacted for comment regarding the recent lodging of the NEC at an expensive hotel, whilst the association is reportedly bankrupt, Motlogelwa declined to comment, he however said, “I am on leave and I can only talk about it when I am back.” He further added “If there is such an issue, it is an internal matter.”
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