IN RELEGATION CASE: ‘WESLIANS’ LOSE PROTEST, GIVE EFA ULTIMATUM

MBABANE – It is not over yet!

This is the relegation saga between Manzini Wanderers and city rivals Denver Sundowns. There was a ruling in favour of the latter on Monday night at Sigwaca House. The maroon and white hub giants had protested against skipper Jimoh Moses after their 4-2 defeat in the grand closing of the 2023/24 MTN Premier League season in May. The games were held at Somhlolo National Stadium.

The matter, which had been postponed on numerous occasions, was back again on Monday night before the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Disciplinary Committee (DC) chaired by Thulani Sibandze. It was a marathon case as it lasted over six hours, before the final verdict was passed by Sibandze. It is worth mentioning that the Weslians alleged that Moses did not have a valid work permit allowing him to ply his trade in the country. The EFA DC ruled against the Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe-led side condemning them to the MTN National First Division (NFD) next season. A source close to the MTN NFD-bound hub giants revealed that the management, through their Chairperson Berger ‘Hotline’ Nxumalo wrote to the EFA, requesting written reasons for the judgement. “We request that we be furnished with written reasons no later than July 5, 2024,” reads part of the urgent letter to the EFA.

In the letter, Wanderers requested the EFA chief executive officer (CEO) to provide them with the written reasons as soon as possible. It further challenged the judgment and consequently with due regard to the fact that the PLE General Meeting was scheduled for August 10, 2024. The PLE Assembly is where the issue of relegation and promotion of teams is dealt with.
Meanwhile, a top Wanderers official said they would not go down without a fight, as they wanted to appeal the decision by the EFA DC, which they felt was ridiculous, shocking and embarrassing to football as well as national laws. “This is an insult not only to football, but to even the country’s immigration laws,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the committee Chairperson Sibandze, passed the decisive judgment that would shape the future of the once-feared Eswatini giants. Sibandze’s ruling, delivered amid an air of anticipation and tension, closed the curtains on the contentious case. “Having heard submissions from both parties and having considered the evidence that has been presented for us, we are of the view that the protest should fail and it is accordingly dismissed,” he said.

Meanwhile, during the course of the hearing, Sundowns presented Gugu Fakudze, the team’s Office Administrator, as their witness. Fakudze, who had assumed her position with the team on April 23, 2023, took the witness stand, testifying on behalf of Sundowns and divulging crucial information about Jimoh Moses’s permit application. In her statement, Fakudze disclosed that she had personally applied for the permit renewal for Moses, paying E300 for a one-year permit.

Permit

After completing the application, Fakudze returned to the relevant office two weeks later to retrieve the permit, only to be informed that it was not yet ready. She then visited the office once again after three weeks, but was told that they would contact her when the permit was available. Fakudze did not receive any communication, but she eventually collected the permit after Wanderers had filed their protest challenging the validity of Moses’s right to play in the MTN Premier League. Furthermore, during cross-examination, the Denver Sundowns witness, concurred that, given the expiry of Jimoh’s first passport and the issuance of the second passport only on June 26, 2024, Jimoh had been an illegal immigrant in Eswatini during the intervening period from March 23 to June 26. In an effort to counter Wanderers’ allegations, Fakudze asserted that the Sundowns team could not be held accountable for the delay in the issuance of Jimoh’s permit, as the team had taken the necessary steps to apply for the permit in a timely manner.

After hours of intense deliberation that extended well past midnight, Sibandze, announced the decision, meting out a harsh punishment that condemned Wanderers to relegation from the 2023/24 MTN Premier League to the National First Division for the first time since they were established 67 years ago. The announcement, delivered in the early hours of the morning, was received with grim countenances by Wanderers’ CEO, Diana ‘Girlie’ Johnson, and other members of her management committee (MC), who left the DC visibly dejected. In addition to the DC’s ruling, Sibandze disclosed that Wanderers retained the right to appeal the disciplinary committee’s decision, providing the team with an opportunity to challenge the relegation verdict. Wanderers were represented by a four-member legal team led by the Board of Governor Bongani ‘Bhanyaza ‘ Mdluli, former managing Director Advocate Mduduzi ‘Tsotsi’ Mabila, Sifiso ‘Charlie’ Jele and Thabiso Fakudze. Sundowns were represented by Zakhele Dlamini.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: