Times Of Swaziland: CANDIDATES PROMISE  IMPROVED GRANTS,  MORE SPONSORS

CANDIDATES PROMISE  IMPROVED GRANTS,  MORE SPONSORS
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Nimrod Hlophe on 04/08/2024 18:43:00


MBABANE – Interesting promises were made yesterday at Sigwaca House, setting
the stage for Saturday’s elective general assembly.
This happened as the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Ethics Committee rolled
out the red carpet for five ambitious candidates vying for the chairmanship
position. It was the first time for the Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini-led
committee to stage campaigns for the PLE elections. Over the years, it has been
a privilege reserved for those running for the EFA presidential position. The
election of the new Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) executive will take place
during the elective Ordinary General Assembly (OGA).
The five candidates aiming to lead the PLE from August 10 until 2028, in no
particular order, are Charles Matsebula, Mark Carmichael, Sibusiso
‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo, Victor Rodrigues, and Polycarp Dlamini. However,
Carmichael and Rodrigues were absent during the campaigns. Candidates were given
15 minutes to present their manifestos to the Board of Governors (BoGs),
followed by a 10-minute ‘questions and answer’ session.  As each of the
three present candidates made their presentations, certain common points
emerged. All candidates promised to secure additional sponsors for PLE.
Currently, the organisation has two sponsors.
These are the MTN Eswatini and Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund
(SMVAF), which sponsors the Ingwenyama Cup.  Ezulwini United boss Polycarp, was
first to take the floor, said he had already been in negotiations. If he wins
the hot seat, he said he might even launch a new sponsor during the first week
of his term. On the other hand, Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows’ Chairman Charles
Matsebula said his victory would mean more sponsors for both the Premier League
and the National First Division (NFD).
Sponsorships
He based this on his experience, as he was also serving in the outgoing
Executive Committee (ExCo).  Matsebula emphasised that no individual could claim
credit for securing the current sponsorships, attributing it to the collective
effort of the ExCo, which he said also revived the Trade Fair Cup. Moreover,
Rangers’ Board of Governors of Trustees member Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo
stressed the importance of income-generating mechanisms. Nxumalo highlighted the
need to create a compelling package for fans to consume football, attracting
sponsorship partnerships through a fan database, season tickets and replica
sales.
Another point was the issue of increased grants for teams and participation
fees. ‘Scorpion’ suggested these could be supplemented through the sale of
season tickets, strengthening the sale of broadcast rights and converting the
PLE into a corporate business unity. However, Matsebula promised grants for
top-tier teams would go up to E200 000 and E100 000 for the lower division once
he becomes chairman. He assured that no club would receive less than E30 000 in
participation fees for any tournament. Polycarp, on the other hand, focused on
closing the gap between the EFA and the organisation, which could lead to
improved grants for clubs. He also proposed revitalising the PLE’s economy to
assist clubs with loans during tough economic times. Furthermore, it came out
that the PLE would leave Sigwaca House and occupy its own offices in the
upcoming quadrennial.
Legacy
The Ezulwini United boss expressed his desire to leave a legacy by ensuring they
have offices within the next four years. Meanwhile, ‘Scorpion’ spoke on
infrastructure development for both the organisation and teams, emphasising the
need for PLE offices and training grounds for teams. He stated that he just
needed two years to deliver this and that it was now time to move from
information to action. For the PLE offices, reports suggested that a piece of
land behind Lobamba Technical Centre was secured. Worth noting, however, is that
all candidates personally supported a 16-club league, though they differed in
its execution.