Times Of Swaziland: ‘BULL’ GATE TAKINGS FOR ‘PUPU’ DEBT

‘BULL’ GATE TAKINGS FOR ‘PUPU’ DEBT
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Nimrod Hlophe on 15/11/2024 08:44:00


MBABANE – In a significant turn of events, capital giants Mbabane Swallows are
set to receive a lion’s share of the gate collections from the recent Mbabane
derby.
Mbabane Highlanders, who lost 0-2, were hosts. However, these funds have been
earmarked to settle a debt owed to Swallows. Last Thursday, Swallows triumphed
in a court ruling against Highlanders, which mandated the latter to pay E40 000.
This amount represents the outstanding balance for the transfer of the talented
midfielder Banele ‘Pupu’ Sikhondze.
Reports indicate that the ‘Birds’ have taken further action to secure the
debt, initiating garnishment proceedings earlier this week.
Seizing
According to Investopedia, garnishment is a legal process whereby a creditor
obtains a court order to collect a debt by seizing a portion of the debtor’s
wages, bank accounts or assets.
This allows creditors to recover owed funds directly from the debtor’s income
or assets. From the gate collections of last Sunday’s match, it has been
reported that Highlanders generated E145 000, suggesting that approximately 2
900 tickets were sold at E50 each. Chief Ally Kgomongwe, the Managing Director
of Highlanders, confirmed that a portion of these collections will indeed be
allocated to settling the debt. He revealed that he received a notification from
the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) on Tuesday, informing him that Swallows had
garnished the funds. The total amount garnished rose to E75 000, an increase
from the original E40 000 due to additional fees incurred, including court
costs.
Explanation
During an explanation on Eswatini Television, Kgomongwe stated that Highlanders
were left with E65 000 after the garnishment. Just two days ago, Highlanders
players submitted a petition to the PLE, requesting that the gate collections be
used to pay their salaries. However, Kgomongwe, a businessman based in South
Africa, assured that he would ensure the players receive their two months’
worth of owed salaries by Sunday. He noted that he had not yet received any
formal petition from supporters or players as of yesterday. Attempts to reach
Knowledge ‘Bhambo’ Ngwenya, the Public Relations Officer for Swallows and
Pat Vilakati, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the PLE, for comment, were
unsuccessful, as their mobile phones went unanswered. Both were sought for
confirmation regarding the garnishment proceedings.