‘Always late.’ ‘Leaves before lunch.’ ‘Not committed to his work.’ These are some of the accusations levelled by shareholders against Botswana Football League Chief Executive Officer (BFL CEO) Billy Sekgororoane. Barely three months into his contract, BFL shareholders say they are not happy with how he is running the league. The frustration has now reached a point where some shareholders want the CEO and the entire board removed from office.
They say the league is failing, and the leadership is to blame. According to several shareholders, the main problem is the way the CEO handles his responsibilities. They allege that he is not running the office properly and does not show commitment to the job.
Some allege that he is often not available at the office and that staff members sometimes have to take documents to his home for signing. They further claim that he arrives late at work and leaves before lunchtime on many days. For them, this is clear evidence that the CEO is not taking his duties seriously.
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Another issue that has caused tension is the distribution of broadcasting rights money. The league received P5 million from TV rights, but the shareholders say they want 80% of that money to go to the clubs and only 20% to the office. They argue that the clubs are the ones carrying the financial burden of running teams every week, yet they receive the smaller share of the funds.
Shareholders have also accused the CEO of failing to meet them to resolve pending operational issues. They feel ignored and say he does not treat their concerns with urgency. This has created mistrust between the league office and the clubs.
One of the most serious allegations is that the CEO terminated the Betway sponsorship without consulting the shareholders. They say such major decisions should not be taken by CEO and board without consulting them, especially when the league is already struggling financially. They insist that they should have been involved before the sponsorship was cancelled.
Due to all these concerns, some shareholders now want the CEO position removed completely from the Botswana Football League structure. They propose replacing it with a General Manager position, which they believe will be more effective and easier to hold accountable. The league has also struggled to secure new sponsorships since the current leadership took office.
Shareholders say they expected the Top 8 tournament to return this season, but that now seems unlikely because no sponsor has been secured. They feel the league office has failed to market the league strongly enough to attract corporate partners. On Tuesday, the league shareholders held a meeting to discuss several issues.
These included the operational and financial challenges facing the league, the possible removal of the CEO position from the BFL organogram, and replacing it with a General Manager. They also discussed reviewing the league’s budget and cutting down on expenses to save costs. Another topic discussed was the salary structure at the BFL.
Shareholders believe the office is spending too much on salaries while the league is struggling to pay clubs and cover match operations. They proposed new cost-saving measures and a review of how the league uses its money.
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