CANDIDATES PROMISE IMPROVED GRANTS, MORE SPONSORS

MBABANE – Interesting promises were made yesterday at Sigwaca House, setting the stage for Saturday’s elective general assembly.

This happened as the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Ethics Committee rolled out the red carpet for five ambitious candidates vying for the chairmanship position. It was the first time for the Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini-led committee to stage campaigns for the PLE elections. Over the years, it has been a privilege reserved for those running for the EFA presidential position. The election of the new Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) executive will take place during the elective Ordinary General Assembly (OGA).

The five candidates aiming to lead the PLE from August 10 until 2028, in no particular order, are Charles Matsebula, Mark Carmichael, Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo, Victor Rodrigues, and Polycarp Dlamini. However, Carmichael and Rodrigues were absent during the campaigns. Candidates were given 15 minutes to present their manifestos to the Board of Governors (BoGs), followed by a 10-minute ‘questions and answer’ session.  As each of the three present candidates made their presentations, certain common points emerged. All candidates promised to secure additional sponsors for PLE. Currently, the organisation has two sponsors.

These are the MTN Eswatini and Sincephetelo Motor Vehicle Accidents Fund (SMVAF), which sponsors the Ingwenyama Cup.  Ezulwini United boss Polycarp, was first to take the floor, said he had already been in negotiations. If he wins the hot seat, he said he might even launch a new sponsor during the first week of his term. On the other hand, Pigg’s Peak Black Swallows’ Chairman Charles Matsebula said his victory would mean more sponsors for both the Premier League and the National First Division (NFD).

Sponsorships

He based this on his experience, as he was also serving in the outgoing Executive Committee (ExCo).  Matsebula emphasised that no individual could claim credit for securing the current sponsorships, attributing it to the collective effort of the ExCo, which he said also revived the Trade Fair Cup. Moreover, Rangers’ Board of Governors of Trustees member Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo stressed the importance of income-generating mechanisms. Nxumalo highlighted the need to create a compelling package for fans to consume football, attracting sponsorship partnerships through a fan database, season tickets and replica sales.  

Another point was the issue of increased grants for teams and participation fees. ‘Scorpion’ suggested these could be supplemented through the sale of season tickets, strengthening the sale of broadcast rights and converting the PLE into a corporate business unity. However, Matsebula promised grants for top-tier teams would go up to E200 000 and E100 000 for the lower division once he becomes chairman. He assured that no club would receive less than E30 000 in participation fees for any tournament. Polycarp, on the other hand, focused on closing the gap between the EFA and the organisation, which could lead to improved grants for clubs. He also proposed revitalising the PLE’s economy to assist clubs with loans during tough economic times. Furthermore, it came out that the PLE would leave Sigwaca House and occupy its own offices in the upcoming quadrennial.

Legacy

The Ezulwini United boss expressed his desire to leave a legacy by ensuring they have offices within the next four years. Meanwhile, ‘Scorpion’ spoke on infrastructure development for both the organisation and teams, emphasising the need for PLE offices and training grounds for teams. He stated that he just needed two years to deliver this and that it was now time to move from information to action. For the PLE offices, reports suggested that a piece of land behind Lobamba Technical Centre was secured. Worth noting, however, is that all candidates personally supported a 16-club league, though they differed in its execution.

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