Legal tussle over Chiefs brand
● New committee to demand dissolution of company ● Looming legal battle leaves Dirang deal in jeopardy
The announcement of Dirang Express (Pty) Ltd as the new management company for Mochudi Centre Chiefs faces a litmus test with a legal tussle ensuing over the status of the club.
The club recently declared that it has turned into a company, Mochudi Centre Chiefs (Pty) Ltd. However, it has since turned out that the society has not been entirely dissolved and the recently elected new interim committee is ready to battle for the dissolution of the company.
According to the new chairperson, Victor Kobe there was a lot of dishonesty and forgery in attaining the company status with several processes bypassed, which makes the current status of the club illegal. Kobe told this publication that the previous committee, which was headed by Edwin Mothulatshipi was indeed given the mandate to transform the club into a company by the general membership at an Annual General Meeting (AGM).
He said after that, the committee never went back to the general membership to seek further mandate, which included the transfer of some of the club’s properties.
“What they should have done was to come back to the general membership again so that we can give them another mandate to transfer those properties but that is not what they have done,” Kobe said yesterday.
He said as it stands, the society is still in place and because of what has already transpired, they cannot give the green light for the dissolution of the society.
He said instead they will challenge the existence of the company, which bears the Mochudi Centre Chiefs name.
According to the documents shared with this publication, the Registrar of Societies wrote to the club in April reminding the then secretary that the dissolution of the club was not approved.
According to the letter, the dissolution was not approved on the basis that there was no resolution made to dissolve the club.
“Instead the incoming committee was tasked with engaging in further investigations and coming up with a resolution to transform the team from a society to a company.
Please furnish the Registrar with minutes that clearly outline the resolution to dissolve the club,” the letter stated. Kobe said there is even a claim that P130,000 has been paid for the company to acquire the trademark but added that the club has not received money for the transfer of that trademark.
Kobe’s committee is working on calling for an AGM. Prior to announcing Dirang Express as the new management company that will oversee the administration of football for the next six years, the company (Chiefs Pty Ltd) released a statement warning the members of the society against using the Chiefs brand.
The club, now operating under the company had already hit the ground running and also announced the appointment of a highly experienced coach, Phillimon Makwengwe.
The latter has signed a two-year deal with Thatayamodimo Tebele retained but now as an assistant coach.
Tebele led Chiefs to a second-place finish last season in the Debswana First Division South League but lost out in the play-offs and missed the chance to return to the Premier League.