Times Of Swaziland: AHEAD OF DERBY: PRINCESS LUNGILE,  SWALLOWS  SMOKE  PEACE PIPE

AHEAD OF DERBY: PRINCESS LUNGILE,  SWALLOWS  SMOKE  PEACE PIPE
================================================================================
Mengameli Mabuza and Nimrod Hlophe on 09/11/2024 07:48:00


MBABANE – A significant shift appears to be underway at Mbabane Swallows, as
Governor Sandile Zwane and Princess Lungile have reportedly reconciled following
productive discussions yesterday afternoon at Madlenya House.
This meeting came after Swallows players attempted to meet with the former
director last week but were informed, after waiting for an hour that the
princess was unavailable. This incident coincided with growing concerns among
players regarding their October salaries, with some receiving only half-pay and
others nothing at all. According to reliable sources present at the meeting,
Princess Lungile and the Swallows management agreed to ‘smoke the peace
pipe’ following the intervention of Alfred Raul, a French investor who
expressed a desire to support the club in overcoming its financial difficulties.
“The team met with the princess yesterday, along with all the Swallows
players, after their morning training session at Malkerns. The meeting took
place at Madlenya House, where it was agreed that the best solution would be to
come to an agreement and restore the team to its former dominance,” the source
revealed. During the meeting, Princess Lungile addressed the players,
highlighting the challenges of having a single owner for the team. “From now
on, shares will be split, and there will be board members—seven in total, with
me as the eighth member. Each board member will hold 10 per cent, while I will
retain the remaining 30 per cent. These shares are not just for day-to-day
management but for all those who call themselves Swallows supporters, to avoid
the problems we have faced today when someone owns the team,” she stated.
She also announced the formation of a new management committee (MC) and the
appointment of board members.  “Tony Tsabedze is back as general manager and
Wonder Nhleko will be responsible for instilling the team’s culture,” she
added. In a further boost to morale, an audio message from Raul was played to
the players, in which he promised incentives for a victory against Mbabane
Highlanders tomorrow and announced his arrival in the country next Friday.
“For the next three years, Mbabane Swallows will have a strong investor behind
them,” he assured.
Raul confirmed the developments in an interview, stating that the Swallows
hierarchy had reached an agreement and that he would be finalising everything in
the coming days. “We are moving forward, and we will show good faith. The
paperwork for the entity will be completed when I arrive next week. For further
details, please contact Princess Lungile,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from Princess Lungile were made through multiple
phone calls; however, her phone remained unavailable at the time of this report.
At the time of compiling this report Governor Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’
Zwane’s position was unknown in the team.