The Diving Mamelodi’s rocky BPL path

BG Sport: 2012/2013 season was your first season in office as the CEO of Botswana Premier League. Kindly share the challenges you faced in the infancy period of your reign.

B.M.: Firstly the mandate. The mandate was to transform the Premier League to make it better organised, attractive and relevant. The challenge I faced was that not everyone was ready for change and that meant resistance from various quarters.  For example, the BFA Constitution says the league must finish in May, but nobody wants the fixtures to be congested, and yet they all want the league to finish on time.  Another challenge was an opinionated media that does not always report the truth. It should be noted that I’m an employee of the premier league clubs to do the right things, not necessarily to do what a specific club wants.

BG Sport: Since you took over as the CEO what would you say you have achieved so far and what changes have you brought to the premier league office?

B.M.: Since taking over the office, I have been able to foster an environment of teamwork amongst the staff, without which the Secretariat would not function. Not everyone was ready to work with me, but over time they appreciated the value that I bring and the performance of the office was able to improve. Governance was key and we ensured that all staff members had contracts and job descriptions, as well as making sure there were systems and controls in place. Today we have a Finance Policy and Procedures Manual as well as a Human Resources Manual.  There are procedures and individual performance is monitored.

Discipline was also very key in terms of adhering to statutory and contractual obligations, and I believe our judicial structures shone by keeping us in check and swiftly dealing with cases. Also, compliance was a priority.  No fixture was postponed or failed to start within the stipulated time period. Kit clashes have become a thing of the past and all the above present a fertile platform for structural order on the road to professionalism. Improved relations with stakeholders also became a priority.  When I came in, Match Officials were disillusioned.  They are to me the real heroes of last season because despite the fact that we could not pay them on time, they honoured every fixture and performed consistently.

BG Sport: How long is your contract and during that period as the CEO, what further changes would you like to see. In other words, what do you, in the end, want to be remembered by?

B.M.: I signed a 3-year contract in November 2012 and I would like to accelerate the improvement of the revenue streams of clubs and a growth with emphasis on youth.  I would like to see an increase in crowd attendance and a more positive image portrayed of the League.  This will be achieved by the activation of our Commercial Strategy which is ready for implementation. But to do that I need to be supported by people who genuinely love football and honestly want to see it grow.
Again, at the start of the 2015/2016 season, I would like to see the Botswana Premier League fully professional and 90% of the clubs fully sponsored.  This I believe is realistic as it is achievable. In the end I just want to be remembered as the guy who came in and diligently went about his duties in an effort to help and add value.
BG Sport: Talking about that, what is your honest take on the professionalisation of our football, and what do you think clubs and all concerned should do to speed up this professionalism?

B.M.: Professionalisation is achievable.  But you can’t even begin to think about it if you don’t have structural order.  You need to get the basics right and focus on issues of governance, discipline and compliance.
BG Sport:  And your perception about our standard of league competitiveness?

B.M.:  I believe the League is very competitive. Mogoditshane Fighters could beat the champions Mochudi Centre Chiefs and still get relegated.  Anybody can beat anybody on any given day. I do however feel we need to bridge the gap between the Premier League and the First Division, but that is work in progress. We are also able to attract some of the more talented players and coaches in the region.  Elvis Meleka has featured for the Zimbabwean National team and is our Player of the Year.  At some point Madinda Ndlovu was on the radar of Platinum Stars. Our exports have also settled pretty well in the PSL and in the DRC. After that you need to secure a solid television platform on which you package and implement a commercialisation strategy that will take you to the promised land.

BG Sport:  What is your take on the recent surge where businessmen are buying stakes in the premier league teams?
B.M.:  I think it lends credence to the fact that our football has become attractive and relevant, and such investment bodes well for the future of premier football in Botswana.  The monster has begun to grow.

BG Sport:  Going forward, what would make you happy about the BPL in the short term, and then in the long term? Any regrets you have so far (ever since you came in)?
B.M.:  I think we have to manage the negativity, and focus on the positives.  We have to jealously protect this premier league brand and frown upon those baselessly opinionated people who don’t have the progressive interest of our league at heart. Long term we have to continue to work hard and continue to be united because only together may we achieve our dream of professionalisation by the start of the 2015/2016 season. No one person can deliver that.

BG Sport:  Please take this moment to clarify the clouded issue on the premier league’s relationships with Botswana Television and Supersport on the broadcasting agreement. What really led to Btv’s failure to broadcast the BPL games and how did Supersport come in?  
B.M.:  As far as I am concerned, there is no issue here.
BG Sport:  What benefits are entailed in the Supersport deal? For the league in its entirety as well as for individual clubs and players.
B.M.:  Do you mean to tell me that people out there don’t know what value Supersport brought to the PSL in South Africa, the Kenyan Premier League, the Zambian League and the Zimbabwean League?  I don’t believe the credentials and reputation of Supersport are in dispute. We just need to find a balance.
BG Sport: During the Mascom Top 8 finals in Lobatse we saw Barloworld motor dealer displaying some of their cars within the stadium. Please shed light on the matter.

B.M.: Oh.  That was an arrangement made by Mascom and Barloworld.  Mascom ran it by us and we had no objection.
BG Sport: What are the BPL’s plans regarding parameter advertising at stadiums? If any, to what extent can we expect this to be done and how will that change the BPL profile?
B.M.:  The issue of parameter boards is contained in the Commercial Strategy I alluded to earlier.  You must remember that to activate the parameter branding, you need a consistent television platform and this is key. The benefits are enormous and this is one of the ways we wish to improve the revenue streams of clubs.
BG Sport:  This season football stadiums have been experiencing dwindling numbers of supporters. What is your take on the matter and how do you (BPL) intend to address it?

B.M.:  I think the past season had a lot of challenges and plenty of uncertainty. You must remember that the romantic nature of football stems from its fluidity and its predictability and structural order. With the television climate under control and improved relations with our commercial partners, the media will have less to be negative about and the people will come back and put bums on seats. The attraction and relevance of the BPL should not be in dispute looking at the media attention it attracts.

Besides that, we need to work closely with our sponsors in terms of match-day activations and begin to look closer into issues of hospitality and a more comprehensive match-day experience. We need to re-energise the football fan – and by this I mean holistically and collectively.
BG Sport: Generally, what changes can Batswana expect next season in as far as the league is concerned?  Any major shifts?
B.M.: Changes – none.  But continued growth and continued improvement.  You must remember that we are developing a monster here. A monster we intend to unleash in the 2015/2016 season.

BG Sport: A lot has been known about you being closer to football matters in South Africa. Please shed light on your relationships there and your impressions about football administration in SA. What can Botswana learn from SA and if any, what can Botswana teach the South Africans.
B.M.:  The PSL in South Africa is in the Top 10 commercially viable Leagues in the World.  That is a fact so it means there is a lot that they are doing right and that we can learn from them.  But there is a lot that we can teach them too.

Unlike us, they have divorced issues of pettiness and jealousy from their football.  They all want the same thing – money – and they are united in their quest to achieve it.  If we can learn that from them, half our work is done. I have a professional relationship with Clubs in South Africa and also corporate South Africa, and that includes the broadcasters.  This is a relationship cultivated over time, and available at my disposal to accelerate our vision for the 2015/2016 season.
BG Sport: Another lot was said about you and the former BPL Manager Setete Phuthego not seeing eye to eye since your coming into the BPL. Suggestions have even been made that your entry was largely responsible for him being relieved of his position. Kindly clear the smoke on this matter.

B.M.:  A lot of what was written and said on this matter was largely fiction. I was not hired to fire Setete Phuthego or to replace him.  On the contrary I was hired to help him and the Premier League in general.  We did not always agree – it would have been disingenuous of me to expect that we would always agree.  But Mr P. is a passionate administrator with a genuine love for football.  No one can take this away from him. What people don’t know is that twice Mr P. offered to resign and I refused because I genuinely believed he still had a lot to offer the Premier League.  We had our moments but I believe even today we still have a healthy and mutual respect for one another.
BG Sport: Kindly take this moment then, to appraise the Pre-Mamelodi Era at the BPL. That is: What are your general impressions on the work that Phuthego and his colleagues had already done at the BPL before your arrival?

B.M.:  I think they did fairly well under difficult circumstances and with limited resources.  I was just supposed to come and take them to another level and improve on what already was there. You must remember that I still retain the staff complement I inherited.  I just came with my Personal Assistant, Mogolo Sekgwa who understands my work ethic and has the stamina to perform under pressure and inspire those around her. As for Mr P, I have no opinion on why he is no longer with the league.

BG Sport: Lest we forget - who really is Bennett Mamelodi and what is his claim to football? That is: give us background information about yourself as a person, and as a footballer. Also on how you got into football; your inspiration; your clubs; positions played; national teams; and how you ended into administration.
B.M.:  Bennett Mamelodi is just an ordinary guy.  The last born in a family of 5, I was born in Gaborone and attained my primary education at Thornhill Primary School.  I proceeded to Maru-A-Pula for my Secondary Education.  I then went to the University of Botswana where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences. I then joined the civil service as a Career Diplomat before resigning in 1999 to pursue a career in Television and Marketing.

I got my Diploma in Film and Television in 2000 at the Pretoria University and then went on to work for various organisations in television after which I worked in marketing.  I got to do work with the South African PSL and some clubs in the PSL as well as being part of the broadcasting evaluation in the PSL and commercial transformation. I then came back to Botswana in 2008 to form a consultancy company with a foreign partner, which was geared at transforming football in Botswana.  The company folded in 2011 and I joined the Premier League in 2012.

I played for various clubs in the Premier League having made my debut at Mochudi Centre Chiefs.  I played in the Champions League with Gaborone United, and retired as Player/Coach at what is now called UF Santos.

I am a qualified coach and hold a UEFA B Coaching badge. I played for the National team at U20, U23 levels and got 3 Senior National team caps as a goalkeeper. I love football and I live football and I see my job at the Premier League as a project that I am committed to. So far the ride has been rough but I have no regrets, everyday has its unique challenges and everyday has its own unique satisfactions.

I have been wise enough to take it one day at a time and to realise that not all the battles will be won.  And when at times things don’t work out, I pray to the Lord to grant me the serenity to accept that which I cannot change. But so far It’s been real and like I said earlier, I have no regrets.
BG Sport: Professionally, what do you wake up to everyday? What are your daily challenges at the office…  the little things that you have to deal with towards changing the premier league for the better.

B.M.:  Every morning I wake up and take my daily walk during which I plan my day.  I get to the office and go through my mail and action all urgent matters. I then follow-up every department to make sure that they are up to date with all they have to do. I try to restrict my meetings to after 1100HRS to ensure that by that time the office is functioning as it should. Communication is key and we have to constantly communicate with all stake-holders and share relevant information. Football is dynamic, and therefore things always crop-up.  We have to deal with those swiftly so as not to adversely disrupt the routine.

BG Sport: Your parting shot?
B.M.:  For emerging leagues such as ours, patience is key, even at a modest level.  Rome was not built in one day. Together we must draw inspiration from Timothy 4 verse 7 and fight the good fight, run this race and keep the faith.