Prominent businessman Tendani Ernie Sebata has ended his multi-million-rand partnership deal with Botswana giants Township Rollers FC after investing R30 million over the past year.
Former Orlando Pirates winger Thabo Rakhale turns out for the 16-time Botswana champions. Sebata, through his South Africa-based company, Sebata Consolidated Holdings [Pty] Ltd, assumed the club’s presidency last year.
In June 2024, he entered into a five-year agreement with the club. It included an initial investment of BWP 7.5 million [approximately R9.5 million]. This capital was earmarked to support the club’s daily operations.
Notable investments included the purchase of a luxury coach for the senior team and a minibus for the women’s team. He also ensured that the Rollers Ladies team became one of the few in the league offering stipends.
The Johannesburg-based company also settled some outstanding debts. Rollers has a squad of 49 players, all of whom are on the company’s payroll. Furthermore, the sponsorship covered monthly operational costs such as fuel, vehicles, kits, player accommodation, training field expenses, media equipment and office furniture.
In addition, Sebata reportedly inherited signing-on fees in the region of R1 million from the club’s previous partners. Additionally, he was compelled to clear the outstanding salaries of former coach Thabo Motang under duress, with the threat that the Rollers would not participate in the 2024/25 season if these salaries were not settled.
WHY SEBATA IS PULLING OUT FROM TOWNSHIP ROLLERS
According to a statement issued by the company, Sebata “contributed more than BWP 22 million [R30 million] to the club, affirming its belief in the potential of Botswana football and the importance of private sector involvement in African sport.”
One year later, sources say Sebata has cited significant governance issues, regulatory non-compliance, and alleged misrepresentation of the club’s ownership structure as reasons for his imminent withdrawal.
There are allegations that Sebata was misled into believing he was acquiring an interest in the club, only to discover later that the entity “Township Rollers Pty Ltd” still belongs to former chairman Jagdish Shah. Instead, a separate entity named ‘Popa Popa’ was created, which is merely a club slogan and has no legal recognition as an owner.
“The sponsor expressed serious concerns regarding the material misrepresentation made by the club’s representatives, which he relied upon when agreeing,” a Popa source told FARPost.
“He discovered that the club’s representatives did not engage with the Botswana Football League, failing to seek its endorsement of the agreement or inform it of its contents. This alone constitutes a material misrepresentation. Any agreement to transfer shares or interests in a club to a foreign owner must be sanctioned by the League.”
JAGDISH SHAH’S EXIT FROM ROLLERS
In May 2023, Jagdish Shah unexpectedly announced his intentions to step back from the club. The businessman expressed concerns about the lack of support for his appointed CEO. Shah’s exit was also associated with complications with the ownership structure. During his decade-long tenure with the club, Rollers won five league championships. They also reached the group stages of the CAF Champions League.
Following Shah’s departure, the 16-time league champions faced significant financial difficulties. The Sebata sponsorship agreement was designed to stabilise the club’s finances and restore its competitive edge.
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