Moorosi Tsiane
DEFENDING premier league champions, Bantu, have added Lesotho Post Bank to their list of sponsors with a M100 000-per season deal that is subject to upward review.
The Mafeteng side has already inked sponsorship deals with Metropolitan Lesotho, Lesotho Flour Mills and Lesotho Funeral Service.
In his remarks during the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday in Mafeteng, Post Bank Managing Director, Molefi Leqhaoe, said they opted to sponsor Bantu because of the club’s good corporate governance.
“This is a team of very dedicated people. We tried to look for their managerial shortcomings, as we considered this deal, but found none,” he said, adding that the bank also wanted to be associated with champions.
“Just like Bantu, who are the defending champions, we have also been named the best bank when it comes to service delivery for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.
“Therefore, our association with a big brand like Bantu will enable us to grow our business.”
Leqhaoe said the sponsorship money could be revised upwards if there was an upswing in Lesotho Post Bank’s business in Mafeteng.
“Bantu will get a bigger share of this pie if the team’s supporters continue to support us. So, my message to the people of Mafeteng is support the Lesotho Post Bank branch because if it improves, the money will also increase,” he said.
“At around this time last year, we opened a branch in Mafeteng. Among the promises we made was to give back to this community that has been supporting us for the past year.”
For his part, Bantu president John Leuta paid tribute to the club’s supporters for contributing to A Matšo Matebele’s success.
“I firstly want to give credit to Bantu supporters because they are the people who make managing this club easier to enable us to attract sponsorship,” he said.
“Nowadays, football is a business and companies seek partnerships that benefit both sides.”
Leuta, who is also Premier League Management Committee chairperson, echoed Leqhaoe’s sentiment that clubs needed to have good corporate governance to attract sponsorship.
“This issue of accountability is very important and I wish that, as football teams, we can take it seriously because if you want a company to give you money, you have to convince them that you are not going to misuse it,” he said.
“To all our supporters, let us support Lesotho Post Bank and make sure we don’t drag their brand in the mud. We should, therefore, wear our Bantu jerseys with pride.”
