‘BIRDS’ SET TO LOSE E1M MINIBUSES

MBABANE – With club President Archbishop Bheki Lukhele now no longer in the ‘Birds’ nest, more valuable feathers may eventually be plucked out.

The red and white Umkhonto KaShaka released a statement on Saturday evening affirming the latest developments while refuting a local daily’s report that Lukhele had agreed to stay put and was also bound to pay unpaid May salaries to players and staff. The All Nations Church leader, who joined Swallows in the 2018/19 season as their president after the demise of Victor Gamedze a year earlier, had been touted to quit the club a few weeks ago by our sister publication, the Eswatini News, while another publication reported that he had already left. Nearly a month later, since reports of his imminent departure surfaced, it was officially confirmed by Swallows after a meeting between the two parties this past week.

Unfortunate

The red and white Umkhonto KaShaka’s Council of Elders Chairman Absalom Ngwenya confirmed the unfortunate news through a press statement.
It is open secret that the capital city giants are one of the most valuable teams on the land in terms of property and human resource. They have been lucky to have directors who invested in the club. Slain boss Gamedze took it into new horizons when he registered it as company in 2016, which saw it getting entitled to some property such as the club house and sprinters, among other things.

However, after his demise, Swallows lost their 2017 Mercedes-Benz model, which was bought by sworn rivals Mbabane Highlanders after EswatiniBank took it to recover its debt since Swallows failed to service the loan with the bank. Gamedze’s predecessor, Lukhele then could not stand to see that happen as he purchased a Mercedes-Benz sprinter, which was a 2020 model worth to be close to E1 million, including branding.

It became the second vehicle as there was already an Iveco bus the president arrived with when he took over in 2018. Latest reports suggest that the ‘Birds’ might lose both of these wheels following the departure of the archbishop. It  is common with local football administrators to leave with everything registered under their name when their tenure ends with their clubs.

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However, the Archbishop in his resignation letter he tendered to the club; instructed Governor Sebenele Nhlengetfwa to facilitate the property handover to the team. He noted that the Iveco remained the Lukhele family’s property.
Over the years, Lukhele invested immensely in the team, especially on high skilled personnel and highly paid players. The highest wage bill in the country is believed to be over E350 00 monthly. Among the quality players he brought in the club include Felix ‘Fela’ Badenhorst, who made a return to the club in 2021, signing a two-year contact and the former Jomo Cosmos player might also leave the club, with terms of his contract yet to be discussed.
Latest investigations by the publication revealed that the team was not only set to lose the president but among other benefits, the two sprinters that were used by the team when going to MTN Premier League games. According to a source within both camps, the first sprinter was the first to be taken by the president from the club. “The president first took the first white Iveco from the team and now he  has also taken the Mercedes-Benz which we don’t know if he will bring it back to the team or not,” the source lamented.

Privilege

Another setback Swallows might suffer is the privilege of a training pitch. They have been using the Ezulwini Sports Ground found within his opulent All Nations Church in Zion premises.  However, according to Confederation of Africa (CAF) Club licensing, it is a prerequisite for teams to own a sports ground. One of the team’s players, who was interviewed yesterday, said the latest news surrounding the resignation of the president was bad news for the team. “This is definitely a big blow for the team despite us having got paid last week Friday. He was someone who cared for the players,” said the player on condition of anonymity. However, there are also reports that the man of the cloth was willing to come back if certain members of the Management Committee (MC) would resign.

The red and white outfit Council of Elders Chairman Absalom Ngwenya said it was early to talk of the properties of the club. “It’s still prematurely to talk about assets belonging to the team right now because we are still talking with the president of the club who is a Mbabane Swallows at heart. If the thing in his resignation letter can be sorted, he can come back to the team,” he said briefly.  Mbabane Swallows General Manager Sandile ‘Beyond 2000’ Zwane could not be reached for comment after his cellphone rang unanswered when called yesterday.

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