Molefe expected to retain BPL chairmanship

Botswana Premier League Chairman Mokganedi Molefe is set to continue his reign at the helm of the league’s board. Initial expectations had led many to conclude that Molefe would vacate the position given Uniao Flamengo Santos’ relegation from the Premier League.

 
However, this publication has established that the constitution of Botswana Football Association has no rule that stipulates that a chairman in any respective league should be affiliated to any club. A source cited examples of Tariq Babitseng (former First Division South chairman) and Eatlametse Olopeng who assumed leadership positions in their respective leagues without being aligned with any club in their divisions. The source also indicated that Molefe is held in very high esteem by his peers and they appear to be open to the possibility of allowing him to prolong his reign. Any change to the hierarchy of the BPL should have been completed before the start of the 2014/2015 season.

 
The BPL had previously stated that a special meeting would be organized a week after the Botswana Football Association General Assembly in July. The agenda of the meeting was supposed to be the possible election of a new BPL chairman, but the meeting never materialized.

 
Another source has informed this reporter that the so called ‘big clubs’ in the league want him to make way.
“A majority of the teams in the league want him to stay but some of the big clubs would like him to vacate the position. Those big clubs will have a mountain to climb in their attempts to dethrone Molefe because they will have to convince all the other clubs to stand by them. It is up to the Premier League board to decide whether or not to elect a new chairman but as it stands Molefe will continue to lead the BPL,” the source claimed.

 
“The clubs aiming to dethrone Molefe can only have a case if they can accumulate 9 out of 16 clubs expressing a desire to change the chairmanship of the league,” added the source.
Additional information reaching Gazette Sport indicates that Township Rollers have nominated their chairman Jagdish Shah for the BPL chairman’s position. Shah has never hidden his ambition to lead the BPL as he once stated in a previous interview with this publication. No other chairman in the league had expressed an interest in taking over the role so far, which is widely viewed as yet another indication that Molefe has the backing of a large number of board members.