CALLS TO BOYCOTT SECURITY TEAMS INTENSIFY

MBABANE – The MTN Premier League kick-off this weekend is under serious threat.

Amid the ongoing political unrest in the country, there are sectors – mostly on social media platforms - that are calling for the boycott of the three security forces teams being Royal Leopard, Young Buffaloes and Green Mamba. Leopard is from the Royal Eswatini Police, Young Buffaloes from the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and Green Mamba from His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS). Royal Leopard are the reigning league champions and will represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup after being booted out of the CAF Champions League by Angola’s Sagrada Esperanca.

appealing

Four of the country’s big teams National Supporters Committees (NSC) being Manzini Wanderers, Mbabane Swallows, Mbabane Highlanders and Moneni Pirates have written a letter appealing to the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) to positively address and put this into consideration and also give guidelines. The teams are complaining about the forces’ alleged brutality on civilians including football supporters of the teams. The letter was handed to the PLE Chief Operations Officer (COO), Pat Vilakati, yesterday afternoon.

“We, as representatives of the supporters of the top four teams in the country Mbabane Highlanders, Moneni Pirates, Mbabane Swallows and Manzini Wanderers met on this day to discuss the issue of playing against the security forces teams going into the new season. Mental football is supposed to help improve concentration, boost mood and reduce stress while building good friendship and working together. However, these have been dented by the forces’ brutality on unarmed civilians including football supporters of the teams,” reads part of the letter.

Since June, the country has been gripped by political unrest and over 100 people have been injured with some dead. MTN Premier League defending champions Royal Leopard are due to start the campaign against rivals Mbabane Swallows, with Young Buffaloes facing Mbabane Highlanders and Green Mamba are due to play Milling Hot Spurs. This is not for the first time that the security forces are wanted out of the PLE as in the past teams have complained of unfair competitions as they allegedly used government coffers to fund the teams and also recruiting players as they award them with jobs.

represented

The teams were represented by the NSC Chairmen being Mthunzi Dlamini (M. Wanderers), Kenneth Dlamini (M. Highlanders), Mboni Dludlu (M. Swallows) and Mpendulo ‘Shushu’ Dlamini (Moneni Pirates), who are all signatories of the letter. PLE COO Pat Vilakati said he was not aware of the issue and he would be looking into it today. He said as far as he was concerned, the MTN Premier League would kick-off this Saturday as it was announced earlier. “I cannot give a comment on something that I have not seen yet,” he said.

Royal Leopard PRO Frank Hurube requested not to comment on the matter. Green Mamba Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mandla Sibiya said they were affiliates of the PLE and he could not comment for now on the issue.

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