Messy finances haunt netball
Botswana Netball Association is again under scrutiny following the resignation of the association’s treasure, Onica Ramocha. The audit reports of the association in the past years have not been satisfactory and recent information emanating from the netball office is that there are some receipts missing but needed to satisfy auditors’ checks and balances. With the above subject still in question, BONA exco were recently hit with a resignation letter by their accounts officer. The local netball office, however claim to be clueless about what could have prompted her resignation, just a few weeks after the association’s general assembly. According to BONA’s Public Relations Officer, Mokeresete Mokeresete, the association’s President Malebogo Raditladi is engaging with Ramocha on proper handing over of the office.
“One thing that we must understand is that people volunteer into positions; when they want to leave we can’t stop them from doing that,” he said. “She wrote a letter to the president without stating any reasons for her resignation and the handover processes are underway, ” BONA PRO added. According to several reports, there are missing documents in the office since 2018, which includes receipts for the Spar League, expenses for the Africa Qualifiers, senior team training camp, and the AUSC Region 5 Games camp. The unavailability of these documents led the auditors to decide on the financial books submitted by BONA office. “We are still working on finding the missing receipts, retirement of funds has been done to BNSC ( Botswana National Sports Commission), once we have found them we will close this matter. We have already recovered some receipts,” Mokeresete highlighted. The association has been without a sponsor since 2018, in the midst of coronavirus pandemic, there are fears that BONA will find it very difficult to secure sponsors given their recent dirty laundry out in
the public domain. “We are not worried because retirement of funds has been done to BNSC. By the end of this financial year we will provide a proper report of our finances. We approach potential sponsors with confidence because we believe that we will recover all documents needed, it’d be worrisome if there were traits that the funds have not been submitted,” Mokeresete opined when quizzed on whether the matter is likely to hamper their chances to land a sponsorship. Contacted for comment Ramocha says BONA top brass are aware her displeasures as she has communicated
them before, she however admitted that the resignation letter does not entail reasons for her stepping down. “Yes I did not state on my resignation letter why I’m stepping down, but they are aware of my reasons. We have to meet with BNSC very soon, there is a meeting proposed for tomorrow should the BNSC CEO-( Tuelo Serufho) be available. I also have to do a proper handing over and leave on proper terms, I am a member of BICA ( Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants) and I have to protect that license. For now this is all I can say,” she revealed