BFA, Phuthego impasse continues
It appears that there will be no retreat nor surrender by any of the two forces, Botswana Football Association ( BFA) and former employee, Setete Phuthego, who are set to collide once more in the near future.
This follows an indefinite suspension from football activities imposed on the former BFA Regional Coordinator by the BFA’s top brass regarding the registration of Township Rollers defender, Onkarabile Ratanang.
Upon completing the investigations, the football mother- body slapped Phuthego with a suspension and there has been no update as to whether there will be a hearing or not. Close observers to the matter claim that since Phuthego is outside the structures of the football association, there is no stipulated processes to extend invitation and bring him forth to account and defend allegations levelled against him. The BFA statutes allows for members in these kind of situations to be dealt with through the ethics committee or the disciplinary committee, but there are no clear guidelines regarding an individual who is outside the association structures. Information reaching this publication is that, the veteran administrator, Phuthego and his legal team are processing an enquiry to the BFA to find a solution to the current impasse. This is one of the first moves by Phuthego’s camp who are ready to challenge the Maclean Letshwiti led administration before the courts in an attempt to clean up his name.
“Even if he is currently outside the structures, the assertions put forth by the BFA, talk to the time when he was their employee. They should call and give him an opportunity to defend himself in this case, not to suspend him from football on the basis of accusations and allegations, they should give him the right of response,” close sources to the matter shared. Furthermore, it has emerged that, despite currently being banned from football, there is no definitive measures outlined to guide local football structures on how far the suspension
limits the former BFA boss and or what happens to his current ties and relationship with the football community. The BFA Chief Executive Officer, Mfolo Edwin Mfolo told this publication that Phuthego remains suspended and that the association is processing a formal communication to FIFA who will make a determinant over the matter. “He remains suspended, we are taking the matter with FIFA,” Mfolo responded. “We have written to him that he remains suspended. After we have forwarded the matter to FIFA, they will inform us accordingly, they will make a determination. The fact of the matter is that he has committed a serious offense and we can only take the matter to FIFA for determination,” he said. Asked
on whether the association will call Phuthego for hearing, the BFA chief revealed that Phuthego is no longer a BFA employee and therefore he is under no structures that can allow them to bring him for hearing. “He’s no longer a BFA employee or official, if he was an employee we would deal with the matter under the conditions of service, if he was in the structure we would deal with him through structures like ethics committee or disciplinary committee,” Mfolo shared. Phuthego was suspended alongside other two Township Rollers officials, Sidney Magagane and Motshegetsi Mafa, pending investigations on the registration of Rollers defender, Onkarabile Ratanang and Rollers are set to know their fate on the matter on Saturday.