‘BIRDS’ BILL OVER E8M PER SEASON – PRINCESS

MBABANE - Princess Lungile feels it will be grossly unfair to inherit a Mbabane Swallows riddled with debts.

Speaking on the Eswatini Broadcasting and Information Services (EBIS) Sportshow, she highlighted the financial challenges facing the team since the passing of her husband, Victor Gamedze, on January 14, 2018. During the interview with Siphesihle ‘Sihlabani’ Nxumalo, the princess recounted how she was approached by then-Captain Tony ‘TT’ Tsabedze, who implored her to assist the struggling team after the senseless murder of the shrewd businessman and team chairman.

“I agreed to handle the team’s affairs as per his plea. Upon reviewing the financials, I discovered that only E1 000 was available in the main account at EswatiniBank, while salaries totalled around E45 000 monthly,” she revealed. Additionally, she noted that the club owed E600 000 from a trip to Algeria for a Confederation of African Football (CAF) match.

Obligations

To address these debts, the princess initiated fundraising efforts, including selling the popular T-shirts with the ‘Myekeleni Aphumule’ inscription, which allowed her to settle the club’s immediate financial obligations. “That year, they won the league and the Ingwenyama Cup, and reached the group stages in their CAF games,” she added, reflecting on the club’s successes during her tenure. However, she lamented the high costs of running the club, estimating annual expenses at around E8 million, excluding player signing fees and CAF commitments.

Tensions escalated when it was claimed the team did not rightfully belong to Gamedze, leading to a power struggle within the club. As the situation deteriorated, Princess Lungile sought clarity on the club’s status from the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), only to learn that the organisation had been restructured as an association, while Gamedze had registered it as private limited company. “I decided to leave the team out of Gamedze’s assets, appointing a board to manage the shares,” she explained. When pressed about her intentions regarding the club, the princess insisted that any handover must be conducted through proper channels. “It is not fair to give someone the team when it is ruined,” she stated firmly.

Willing

She indicated that the new board will be willing to take over once the debts were cleared, emphasising the need for transparency regarding the club’s financial situation. Recent developments have seen the management of Mbabane Swallows reverting the club to its original status as a company, in a bid to resolve ongoing financial issues, including unpaid player salaries.Despite a recent handover announcement, Princess Lungile’s camp has reportedly refused to accept the club in its current state, citing the need for it to be debt-free before any transitions can occur.The princess was interviewed before the warring factions decided that the team should remain with the old MC until further notice.
This was after mediation efforts by the PLE, late yesterday.

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