Karate wars come full circle
Since 2015, the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) has increasingly been embroiled in trouble. It has become taboo for the karate executive committee to complete its term without being kicked out. The office bearers have perfected the art of rubbing affil
An atmosphere of uncertainty is circling the Botswana Karate Association (BOKA) president, Tshepho Bathai. The late firebrand opposition leader, Kenneth Koma once said, ‘lo ntshetse morago mme ga lo ntlhaloganye’. Loosely translated he meant that people followed him yet without fully understanding him.
Maybe the karate community needed to dig deeper to understand how their man operates. Bathai was first pushed out in 2015 and David Mathe came onboard as interim president. Montshwari Motlogelwa, Mpho Bakwadi, Lere Basupang and Sidney Maruping were part of Mathe’s interim committee.
In 2017, Bathai made a comeback as he was elected president by the affiliates. However, Bathai dropped a bombshell in June when he informed affiliates he will step down in October.
Over the weekend, the affiliates held a Special General Meeting where they fired Bathai before his notice expired in October.
A new interim committee led by Mpho Bakwadi was appointed.
The committee also has Othusitse Dick (secretary-general), Kemmonye Seletamotse (treasurer) and Keorapetse Dube as the public relations officer. Three additional members, Francois Alberts, Bose Caiphus and Othusitse Dick were thrown into the mix. The interim committee has been given four months to put karate back in order.
The committee was given the mandate to investigate the status of the expelled Shukokai Karate Union to see if the BOKA affiliate can be reinstated under the old or new name.
The committee should facilitate the handover and as a matter of urgency resolve the issue of financial statements. Speculation is rife that removing the committee could see the war go into full combat.
On the eve of the meeting, it is alleged that Bathai sent out a letter from the accountants who are handling BOKA financials.
In the letter dated September 23, 2022, the company requested an extension to prepare the financial statements.
“We are writing to yourselves to notify you that the preparation of financial statements is still in progress. Our firm is currently preparing the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, which we expect to have completed on September 26,” the letter reads.
Initially, Bathai had informed the affiliates that the financial statement was to be shared three days after the June meeting. After the motion of no confidence was passed, it was a bitter pill for Bathai and his executive to swallow. He felt that the meeting was unconstitutional.
Bathai’s vice president, David Hubona told Mmegi Sport that the constitution has laid down procedures for calling general meetings and for removal of executives and these have not been followed therefore, “I am still BOKA vice president-technical”.
“The secretary-general has issued a notice for the Ordinary General Meeting at which the financial report will be presented to the general membership for discussion. And there will be elections for a new president since Bathai is serving notice to resign,” he said.
“Article 2.6 of the constitution defines a general assembly as a meeting of delegates and BOKA executive committee. It should be noted that the executive committee should and must be present in all meetings. Article 12.1 states that termination or removal of the executive committee from office is done at a special general meeting requested by two-thirds of the general membership.
In this case, we find ourselves in a situation where this meeting was called by a single suspended member,” Bathai told Mmegi Sport this week. Asked if he accepted the decision to remove him, Bathai said he had no further comment since he has resigned.
He said the constitution states that the president presides over all meetings; general and executive.
Things took a twist ahead of the meeting as treasurer, Kutlwano Mukokomani, resigned. Mukokomani told Mmegi Sport that he had asked the executive committee to allow him to step aside because of work commitments.
Meanwhile, interim public relations officer, Keorapetse Dube said BOKA meetings are communicated according to the constitution. He said members also have the right to call a meeting. “What they are saying is an indication that they are ignorant of the constitution. We wrote many letters to the executive committee; the first letter was signed by two-thirds and they ignored it. If the executive does not want to do anything, clubs have to step in and do something because this is our association,” he said.
Dube said they have not received anything from the Bathai-led committee to facilitate the handover. He said it is important to take decisions to build karate not to put it into disrepute. He said claims made are dismissed because they are personal opinions. Dube said if the previous committee is not happy, they have the right to appeal to the Botswana National Sport Commission.
“The idea is to embrace the aims and objectives of BOKA. It is normal to have differences but we must protect the interests of karate membership,” he said.