18 Mar 2025

Botswana referees are on the spotlight again after Botswana Football League (BFL) chief executive Bennet Mamelodi wrote a letter to Botswana Football Association (BFA) requesting action to be taken against match commissioner Mmoloki Sebeela.

This followed a case involving Gaborone United director, Nicolas Zakhem who was charged with misconduct emanating from a match between BDF XI and Gaborone United at the GU Stadium on February 02.

According to the letter from BFL addressed to BFA chief executive officer Mfolo Mfolo, Sebeela submitted his match report the following day after the match which outlined in detail what had transpired.

“This Report was forwarded to the Office of the BFL chief prosecutor for consideration, after-which a decision was made that prima facie, Nicolas Zakhem and Gaborone United, have a case to answer. They were both charged with four counts of misconduct, and a hearing was set-down for argument on March 13, at Lekidi,” Mamelodi outlined in the letter.

According to the letter, during the hearing, Sebeela having confirmed contents of his report during examination in chief, changed completely during cross-examination as he completely contradicted the contents of his signed match report.

Seebela, is said to have become evasive, defensive and “he ended up lying under oath, in favor of the accused,” according to the letter.

Mamelodi said the effect of Sebeela’s conduct was to collapse and plainly kill the case, on the basis that their star witness was unreliable and dishonest.

“Having considered the above, our Prosecutor, Mr Mukungekwa Maswabi decided to withdraw the charges against Mr Zakhem and Gaborone United, leaving us embarrassed and irreparably harmed. What Mr Sebeela did is unacceptable and makes a mockery of our efforts to clean football, and maintain law and order, something which our commercial partners demand,” he stated in the letter.

BFA chief executive officer, Mfolo confirmed receiving the letter, pointing that they were looking at it.

“We are studying the letter, remember its collective, we have to consult our referees department and also consult our legal advisor,” he said in an interview.

When it was brought to his attention that there had been public outcry about the conduct of referees, Mfolo said he would comment after they had finished with their process. ENDS