LANDSLIDE VICTORY FOR POLYCARP

MBABANE – It was a landslide victory for Ezulwini United President Polycarp Dlamini, who was elected the new Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Chairman.

Dlamini won the position with 23 out of 27 votes during elections held after the Ordinary General Assembly (OGA) at Sigwaca House yesterday. The elections were facilitated by the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Ethics Committee led by Magistrate Siphosini Dlamini. For being chairman, Polycarp outclassed Rangers Board of Governors Trustee Sibusiso ‘Scorpion’ Nxumalo, who managed only four votes. Milling Hot Spurs did not vote, as they were absent. The race for PLE chairman had begun with five candidates. Malanti Chiefs Governor, Victor Rodrigues withdrew seven days before the elections.

Outgoing Chairman Mark Carmichael and former Executive Committee (ExCo) member Charles Matsebula also withdrew at the eleventh hour. Carmichael further withdrew from the vice-chairman position, while Matsebula did not for this position and that of an additional member position.  Polycarp is the sixth PLE chairman since the modern structure was introduced in 2007. Eleven Men in Flight boss Moses ‘Mkhulu’ Motsa was the first Chairman, followed by Tums du Pont, who completed Motsa’s term in 2009.

The others are the late Victor Gamedze, Peter Magagula and Carmichael.  The new chairman pledged to work under the government’s call of ‘nkwe’ and emphasised that the executive was not a feedlot for individuals. He promised to serve the best interests of the teams.  “It’s not about the celebrations or positions, but the work must be kick-started. As you have elected us, we’ve not come to live off your money, but to be guided by you in steering the organisation towards the new horizon,” Dlamini said.

The chairman is boasting over three decades of football experience. He further reiterated his manifesto, which includes professionalism, getting more sponsors, improving the organisation’s reserves, and leaving a legacy of new offices. The headquarters will be built at Lobamba, behind the EFA Technical Centre, on a 100mx100m piece of land allocated by His Majesty King Mswati III.  Meanwhile, former Tambankulu Callies (now Red Rhinos) boss Sithembiso ‘Ngudze’ Mamba, won the vice chairman position with 23 votes. His opponents, Charles Matsebula and Victor Rodrigues received two and one vote, respectively. 

Manzini Sea Birds’ Sicelo Mkhonta earned the additional member seat with 19 votes. The second additional member was Manzini Wanderers’ Governor Bongani ‘Bhanyaza’ Mdluli, who got his maiden ExCo seat with 17 votes. Rodrigues and ‘Scorpion’ tied at nine votes, but after the second vote, ‘Scorpion’ edged out Rodrigues with 14 votes to 12.  Worth noting is that there are still two vacant seats in the ExCo. The five members are expected to co-opt two members with skills deemed necessary for the body. 

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