BONA, South Zone clear league confusion
The Botswana Netball Association (BONA) and the South Zone committee have found common ground following confusion over the running of the LUCARA Netball League. BONA and the zonal committee were at loggerheads over who should run the league, which led to delays in completing the season.
BONA secretary-general, Mmaneke Maplanka had written to clubs in the south informing them that the national executive committee (NEC) was taking over the running of the league. But clubs wrote back to Maplanka indicating they were not amused with the executive committee’s action. They argued the BONA committee wanted to take over the completion of the league because the zonal committee did not have funds.
“We find the action not in order as it goes against structural and constitutional stipulations of BONA. The constitution clearly states that the running of the league shall be entrusted to the zonal league committee. Clubs relate directly with the zonal league committee as far as communication and other pertinent matters as the constitution indicates,” the letter reads.
Clubs argued that playing the league under the direct control of the BONA executive committee
goes against the spirit of the very document that dictates the club’s very existence and has the potential to set a precedence, which can eventually put the association in jeopardy. Clubs implored the executive committee to direct the South Zone to run the games as legally mandated and capacitate the zone with the necessary
funding required to run the games. Clubs also threatened not to play games last weekend (October 8-9.)
BONA concurred with the clubs and Maplanka wrote back to inform them that the NEC had agreed that the clubs should be accorded space to do their duties, as well as to also explore possibilities in the completion of tasks at hand.
“It is against this knowledge that we will allocate South Zone with P5,200 to complete the remaining round games,” the letter reads.
On Tuesday, a meeting was held between the NEC, the South Zone league committee and the clubs regarding the way forward with the LUCARA League.
According to a letter written by South Zone secretary-general, Leetla Setlhabi, after all the deliberations and discussions were made, it was concluded that the remaining games that were not played between Jwaneng, Police, Prisons, and UB Crystals will take place on Saturday at BONA courts. She announced that they would be no second-round games of the netball league.
Speaking to Mmegi Sport on Thursday, Maplanka said the South Zone games are coming to an end this weekend. When asked if there will be playoffs between North and South teams, Maplanka said the answer will emerge after their meeting which was scheduled for yesterday (Thursday) evening.
“The technical team is having a meeting this evening to finalise then that is when a concrete answer will be available. After today, there will be a concrete answer,” Maplanka said yesterday.
Fixtures:
Women: Police vs Crystals (9am), Jwaneng vs Prisons (11am).