JUDGE MUMCY’S ADVICE TO PLE: NULLIFY WESLIANS, ’DOWNS GAME!

MBABANE – It has taken another twist!

This is the six-month-old relegation saga between Manzini Wanderers and Denver Sundowns, which was back in court before Judge Mumcy Dlamini, yesterday. The ‘Weslians’ rushed to court after the local football bodies failed to execute the order, which was issued by the same judge a few weeks ago. The maroon and white hub giants have been running from pillar to post demanding that the judge’s order of reviewing and setting aside the ruling of the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Appeals Board be implemented.

About a month ago, the court ruled in favour of maroon and white hub giants in their protest over Sundowns Captain Jimoh Moses, alleging that he had an invalid work permit.
This was during the club’s MTN Premier League relegation six-pointer, which was played at the Somhlolo National Stadium on May 19, 2024.

Judge’s advice

Ikappa Kappa won the match 4-2, but they could not cheat the dreaded relegation axe, as they were eventually chopped down to the MTN National First Division (NFD). The protest was first before EFA judicial bodies that ruled against Wanderers. These verdicts did not sit well with the ‘Weslians’. The Mlamuli ‘Mlaba’ Nkambule-captained outfit then took the matter to the High Court, where Judge Dlamini ordered that the matter be reviewed and set aside by the football authorities. She further concluded that Moses was not eligible to play the match.
Wanderers, after failing to force the local football authorities to fixture them in the ongoing 2024/25 MTN Premier League campaign, ran back to the court, seeking an execution of the order.
The parties were back in court yesterday, and they made their submissions before Her Lordship Dlamini. This included the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), which was represented by lawyer Meluleki Ndlangamandla, who said they were seeking the court to give them direction on how to tackle the issue. Reacting to this request, Judge Dlamini advised the PLE that they should go back to the drawing board and rectify the error they made, so that Wanderers could play in the Premier League. “What happened should be reversed and they should declare that game null and void. This is the clarity I will give you,” the judge said in response to Ndlangamandla.

Fault

She also advised the PLE to consider having a 15-team league as Pirates were not at fault, but it was the PLE for allowing Moses to play without a valid work permit. “The whole thing was messed up by the PLE,” she added. Sundowns, Moneni Pirates and Jimoh Moses’ legal representative in L.N Dlamini and Associates, through Advocate Lucas Maziya, had earlier submitted that the matter be deferred to another date as the written reasons were missing. This was, however, dismissed and the matter continued. Wanderers representative, S.M Jele Attorneys, through Sifiso ‘Charlie’ Jele, on the other hand, submitted that Pirates were frustrating Wanderers.

“They are not affected, yet they want to appeal, just to frustrate us,” Jele said. He also disclosed that it was not only the club that was suffering, but the players as well as their dependants. “We have a right to play and our aim is not to see Pirates being relegated,” he added. Meanwhile, after hearing the submission of the parties, Dlamini reserved judgment in the case. The verdict is expected next week.

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