IT’S DAWN OF A NEW ERA, AS PLE PROPOSES: MINIMUM WAGE FOR PLAYERS!

MBABANE – Every challenge requires a solution.

The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) is working diligently to address the issues teams face concerning salaries. Currently, Mbabane Highlanders and Mbabane Swallows are experiencing salary challenges. Players from both teams have openly demanded their salaries. Recently, Highlanders players petitioned the PLE to allocate the gate receipts to them, as they are owed wages, claiming that their Managing Director, Ally Kgomongwe, has allegedly abandoned them.

On the other hand, Swallows players have also taken their concerns to the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), demanding their salaries. At one point, they boycotted training and nearly missed games due to the issue of unpaid salaries. In an interview with this publication yesterday, PLE Chairman Polycarp Dlamini stressed the urgent need for salary regulation within the league for players, coaches, medical staff and trainers.

Research

He announced the formation of a committee that will conduct research and prepare a report over the next three weeks. After this, the findings will be discussed by the governors for a further three weeks before a special meeting is arranged to implement salary regulations. He stated that this report will subsequently be presented to the mother body, the Eswatini Football Association (EFA), for their input and approval.Dlamini emphasised the importance of establishing minimum and maximum salary limits, drawing comparisons with practices in other countries.

He warned that significant fluctuations in salary payments could lead to financial difficulties for teams that may struggle to meet their obligations consistently. He noted a concerning trend in the current structure, where the departure of a key director negatively affects a team’s viability. “Some clubs are facing wage bills of E260 000, which can total over a million in just four months. “Teams should not enter into contracts they cannot afford. “While recognising that most players already have contracts, I am hopeful that these new measures can be effectively implemented.”

Challenges

Dlamini reiterated that all 28 teams are experiencing financial challenges and called for a special meeting to enable governors to make decisions that would help teams overcome their difficulties. He concluded by emphasising that the Premier League was yet to reach a fully professional level and highlighted the urgent need for these regulatory reforms to be enacted.
In Eswatini, the minimum salary is about E2 000 and the highest not exceeding E20 000. However, it is believed some players are paid as little as E1 500.  

In South Africa’s Premiership (PSL), which is more professional, the minimum salary is E20 000 and the maximum is E1 million; in Botswana, the lowest salary is E5 000 and the highest is E70 000; in Zambia, the smallest amount is E3 000 and the highest is E60 000; and in England, the bare minimum is E62 400, while the highest can reach E15.6 million.

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