WANDERERS MC’S OVER E100K FROM OWN POCKETS

MBABANE – Relegation-threatened and financially strained Manzini Wanderers’ Management Committee (MC) is being milked dry to keep the fires burning in the club.

While there are no confirmed figures for their expenditure to date, with salaries unpaid for at least eight months now, this publication can report that the MC is spending from their own pockets to cater for training and matches. As things stand, they have seven MTN Premier League games to play before the season is over. Speaking on national radio, Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) Sport Show yesterday, MC Member Mduduzi ‘Mr G’ Ginindza, who is the hub side’s former Public Relations Officer (PRO), said they spent their hard-earned cash to ensure the team trained and attended matches.

“For training, a day is E1 300 then slightly over E10 000 for a game and this is money that comes from the MC and some supporters who have shown support, but it’s only a few of them. We weren’t given anything to work with when we assumed office but always believed the elders would bring in someone. Our supporters have also abandoned the team as we tried to register them but it failed and then we decided to sell shares, but you’d be shocked to learn it’s only less than 10 who have bought them,” Ginindza said as he appealed to their supporters to come on board and rescue the club as there was only two months to go.

He said it was painful that in 2016 they filled the stadium alongside their rivals during the defunct EswatiniBank Cup final, but nowadays those numbers were nowhere to be seen yet they were many. He said a disappointing 130 supporters were registered but thanked those who did and encouraged others to follow suit as the team needed them now more than ever. “Our supporters must not blame us when the team goes down because they are shunning it yet we need to unite and save the team together. If 1 000 of us were to buy the shares now, it would make a huge difference for the team,” he said.

Each share sells for E500 and the club had anticipated to raise E5 million from its 10 000 available shares. Ginindza’s appeal follows a supporters’ meeting held over a week ago where it was revealed that they needed at least E200 000 to finish the season. However, given the figures Ginindza gave out, the remaining games and weeks of training will set them back by over E100 000. Training expenses which were calculated at eight weeks are set to cost around E41 600. It will be at least E5 200 weekly for four days of training while matches will cost about E111 600, but its slightly more than this as Ginindza said they needed to raise more than E10 000 for a game.

Meanwhile, Wanderers are currently going through a rough patch and this may be their worst in their history of financial struggles, with relegation a reality as they are only one point off the zone and have some tough fixtures to play. They have recalled seasoned coach Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe in a bid to change their results on the field of play and survive the axe. The two bottom teams in the standings by the end of the season get relegated to the second tier, the National First Division (NFD) League. Wanderers lost the services of their South African Director Cedric Mashile Mathatha a few months into the season as they introduced a shareholding structure. Mathatha was also reportedly having financial challenges at the time but had assured the team all would be fine in no time. MC Chairman Berger Nxumalo also affirmed the team’s plight recently. All the challenges have also seen them lose their star players like striker Fabrice Mopina to Mbabane Highlanders and midfielder Neliswa ‘Tiger’ Dlamini to Mbabane Swallows, among others.

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