Chris Theko
A High Court ruling has barred some nine Taekwondo clubs from participating in the upcoming elective Lesotho Taekwondo Association (LTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The ruling said the said clubs are not eligible members of the association because they never applied for membership while some had their membership terminated.
The nine clubs are Limkokwing, Ngoatonyane, ‘Mabathoana, Abia, Lepereng, Bishop De Mazenod, Hlotse, Itekeng, and Lithabaneng.
Three taekwondo clubs’ caretakers and one club on 27 November 2020 filed an urgent application in the High Court seeking an order to stop the LTA from holding its AGM before removing the above-mentioned clubs from the list of those that can take part in the AGM.
Khubetsoana Taekwondo Club caretaker and former LTA president, Molapo Moshoeshoe was the first applicant, Khubetsoana Taekwondo Club, Mashali Phasumane, the Sefika Taekwondo Club caretaker of Maseru and Kabelo Mokhotho of the Maseru Day Taekwondo Club are cited as second to fourth applicants respectively.
LTA, Lesotho National Olympic Committee (LNOC) and the Lesotho Sports and Recreation Commission (LSRC) are the first, second and third respondents respectively.
The court ordered the LTA to recompile the list of clubs that will take part in the AGM with the clubs that are ruled as none members.
“The list of Teakwondo clubs submitted by the 1st respondent (LTA) to the 2nd (LSRC) and the 3rd (LNOC) respondents reflecting the clubs that are entitled to participate at the AGM and consequently the elections of the 1st respondents’ committee is declared null as far as it includes clubs whose membership has been terminated and never renewed,” part of the judgement reads.
“The first respondent is ordered to recompile the list of clubs to participate in the AGM excluding the said non-members in accordance with the constitution,” the ruling continues.
The applicants also want the LTA to use a list of teams that participated in the 2017 AGM saying that during the term of the outgoing committee, only three clubs (New Millennium, Police Training College, and Leshoboro) officially applied for membership.
The Acting-President of LTA Nthati Theko said that they are willing to abide by the court’s orders. She said they had already decided that the AGM was to be held on 16 January 2021. She however, revealed that in light of the lockdown that was announced by the Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro, they may be considering a new date.
“We are ready to abide with the ruling, unfortunately, we had set the date for AGM this week but now that we are in Lockdown consultations have begun with our sports mother bodies, the LNOC and the LSRC for them to advice on the way forward,” said Theko.
She also revealed that the date for the elections was yet to be decided upon and that that would be communicated at a later stage. ffffffffff