MBABANE – Drama!
That is what best describes the scenes yesterday when Mbabane Swallows fans stormed the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) offices to deliver a petition.
The group of fewer than 10 supporters arrived at Sigwaca House around 10am, with some wearing the team’s replica shirts while others were in plain clothes. Leading the charge was Njabulo Maziya, who spoke passionately about the leadership crisis tearing through the club.
As they reached the PLE premises, the supporters displayed placards while Maziya addressed the media. The messages were hard-hitting: “Don’t kill your football,” “Players and supporters suffer,” “Beautiful game gone ugly,” “Our football deserves better leadership” and “Endless disputes year in, year out.”
Maziya said the supporters wanted the PLE to intervene in the ongoing conflict between Mbabane Swallows FC and the Pty faction, stressing that the dispute had dragged on far too long with no progress in leadership. “We feel the PLE is dragging its feet. When a big team like Swallows is affected, the whole football fraternity suffers,” he said.
He explained that they had expected the management committee to step down, describing the club as ‘too big for them’. He added that patience was running out, pointing out that the committee had promised to resign at the end of last season, but failed to do so, even though there were people ready to take over.
The supporters were also dismayed that the management committee had failed to attend a meeting called by the Pty faction. “This shows they do not love the team,” Maziya said. “Players have left, things are deteriorating, but they refuse to step aside. Enough is enough – we will not allow this to continue. The PLE must intervene and resolve this leadership crisis.”
Another fan, Bongumenzi Xaba, echoed the concerns, asking when exactly the committee would step down. “All we want is to ensure Swallows is in good hands and that the players are well looked after,” he said.
The fans later entered the PLE reception, where they were received by Football Manager Banele Masondo. He told them only one person could submit the petition rather than the whole group. That sparked a moment of tension when Xaba questioned who Masondo was, arguing that he only occupied that office because of the teams. “If it were not for the clubs, you would not be here. You are hired because of us,” he charged.
Full article available in our publication.
Leave a comment