Mbabane: The willy-nilly sacking of two Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) by the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) will possibly set back the organisation by E1.3 million in legal battles.
Zwelonke ‘Sport’ Dlamini was sacked at the end of the 2012/13 season and was replaced with now Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) Corporate Affairs Manager Nqobile Magagula. In an ongoing legal battle, Dlamini is demanding E600 000 compensation from the PLE in a matter that awaits the Industrial Court ruling later this month.
Last week, the same court ruled in favour of Simanga Nhleko, wherein the acting Judge directed that the organisation must pay the former FIFA accredited referee E672 000. Nhleko was demanding reinstatement as PLE CEO following his sacking in August 2019 or a E980 000 payout in respect of two-year arrear salaries, gratuity, and car allowance.
Nhleko had signed a three-year contract in 2018 with the PLE.
With ‘Sport’ Dlamini, also a former top referee seeking E600 000 and the E672 000 to be paid to Nhleko as per the Industrial Court directive, the PLE will possibly be set back by E1 272 000 in just two months.
The PLE is going for its electoral Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, September 12 with big decisions to be made by club owners.
PLE had elections last month where Mark Carmichael eventually won beating Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula while Sicelo Mkhonta withdrew in the last minute.
Carmichael, have previously held the position on temporary basis, following the untimely death of former PLE boss Victor ‘Maradona’ Gamedze in January 2018.
‘Sport’ Dlamini had already rejected a E20 000 out of court settlement from the PLE. Also, Dlamini took the organisation to court for unfair dismissal after his contract was terminated abruptly in 2013. Dlamini was waging E10 000 per month at the time of his dismissal and along with his lawyers, he is pursuing the matter at the Industrial Court.
In court proceedings recently, Dlamini vehemently denied receiving any monetary gains from former PLE Chairman Gamedze during a cross examination by the organisation lawyer Mxolisi Dlamini before Judge Dumisani Mazibuko.
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