Africa-Press – Eswatini. Moneni Pirates have accused South Africa-based director Alinah More of cutting the players’ salaries which later cost the team’s performance.
Around April, media reports emerged that Pirates players last received their salaries in January. During an end-of-season meeting held at Manzini Library yesterday, Pirates cited the issue of players’ salaries as the main reason of the team’s poor second round perfomance. After a good first round run, the team finished seventh, earning E40 000. The team manager, Twoman Masuku, said the team had an impressive run immediately after her (More) arrival in November last year, which was however, shortlived as a sneeze.
He said trouble began after she did not pay the players salaries. Masuku said the businesswoman who is also said too close to Mbabane Highlanders Managing Director Chief Ally Kgomongwe, only deposited E100 000 in the team’s account which they used to clear a Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) debt. “That was when the team’s perfomance started depreciating when she kept promising players of paying them, but did not. This killed the performance of the team. We heard from some players that the salaries were slashed down to almost to E2 500,” Masuku said.
“We did all the paperwork pertaining to accounts which required her to come and sign which she never did. We made arrangements with her that she will come but kept on postponing,” Masuku said. This was after one of the fans pressed him on issues of transparency which the director has once cited as a problem in the team. “You cannot ask me to furnish you with financial reports when you have not given me any money. She pumped in the money direct into the accounts of the players. She is the only person who can produce that report,” Masuku said.
Echoed
He was echoed by the team’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mhlonishwa Motsa. “She owes us a financial report to tell us how much she paid the players. We were told by players on how much they were getting paid, and she never gave us anything as a proof that she has paid the players,” Motsa clarified to the supporters. Masuku said players were unable to train and perform on empty tummies. “As the result were not forthcoming, some supporters attacked us and insulted us,” Masuku lamented. He reminded fans of their role they must play in ensuring that players stayed away from the abuse of drugs.
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