Africa-Press – Botswana. The Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) general assembly was adjourned on Saturday after affiliates raised concern about the federation’s constitution that was approved and validated by the Registrar of Societies before approval by the general assembly.
The affiliates argued that the constitution was supposed to be discussed and approved by the supreme body of athletics, which is the general assembly. In that regard, a resolution was made that the meeting be adjourned. BAA legal advisor Tiroyaone Sedimo said the general assembly could not go forward and deal with business of the day when there were questions regarding the constitution that was to be used to guide the same meeting. He said that if any procedural violation were identified, it would invalidate the meeting’s proceedings. Sedimo said lingering questions about the constitution adoption necessitated clarity to avoid engaging in a futile exercise.
“We ought to get clarity first, lest we find ourselves having engaged in an academic exercise,” he said.
Prior to the general assembly, some clubs wrote to BAA expressing dissatisfaction that there were still some decisions made and action taken outside some of the resolutions made in the November 2024 special general assembly. They were also surprised that BAA submitted the new constitution to Registrar of Societies without obtaining prior approval from its affiliates. They therefore demanded that the constitution be recalled and follow the lawful procedure as stated in the association constitution. A response letter from BAA to the affiliate said the process of altering the constitution was one that had been authorised by the affiliates.
“For this, kindly refer to the minutes of the Special General Meetings of the December 17, 2022 and the January 28, 2023 at Adansonia Hotel. Furthermore, a briefing was given at the Annual General Meetings of March 2, 2024,” says the letter.
BAA president Moses Bantsi said in an interview that the constitution was effectively adopted in 2022. In 2023, he said affiliates then elected a committee to include amendments that were adopted at the general meeting. Mr Bantsi said the committee did as they were assigned by the assembly and submitted the constitution to the Registrar of the Societies.
“It was a bulky document of about 84 pages, so the registrar advised that there were unnecessary things included in the constitution, amongst them code of conduct, governance and regulation, therefore suggested that they be removed,” he said.
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