Africa-Press – Lesotho. Vodacom Premier League outfit Swallows are still deliberating whether to appeal the Disputes and Protests Committee (DISPROCO) refusal to adjudicate on their complaints after they missed out on the People’s Cup.
The club feels DISPROCO relinquished its responsibility by ruling that they do not have power to hear their case. Swallows laid a complaint about the voting process in the People’s Cup that saw them miss out on the tournament by 50 votes.
Last week, the club said they were unhappy with several issues in the voting process and asked for an audited report of the voting. Their main grievance is that they were leading the polls one hour before the deadline when then a live stream that had been set up was cut which meant transparency was lost as a result.
When the final results were announced, Swallows were no longer among the top vote getters. Given the number of votes the top four teams got within the final hour, it has led Swallows to believe there may have been bulk voting.
However, Econet who were running the process have denied this. Speaking to thepost on Tuesday, Swallows brand manager Atang Tlopo said they have seven days’ time frame to appeal the decision if they wish and that they are still consulting with their lawyers.
“DISPROCO said they don’t have power over this, it was an answer that didn’t convince us that they know where their power or responsibilities starts and ends.
We felt we went to the right place,” he said. “There are several options, one is to appeal the decision that has been made, we are still talking it’s an unusual position. We are still consulting with our lawyers and we will announce what is the next step,” he said.
With the competition now set to reach its conclusion this weekend, Swallows have missed the chance to be part of it and Tlopo pleaded with those in charge to take responsibility.
He said Swallows are willing to sit down and find a resolution. “It needs to be revealed where the mistake happened and how our team can be reimbursed, how can we be compensated for this.
Another thing is whether the money used to vote can be returned to us, our members were voting because they wanted us to participate but we were denied the opportunity,” he said.
Tlopo said the Premier League Management Committee (PLMC) have shown no willingness to work with the club to find a solution. “PLMC is not prepared to work with us to reach a solution, they have disowned us, yet the power is with them.
They have a duty to listen but they don’t want to take that direction,” he said. “One thing that is a challenge in the country is that the laws that govern football deny us a chance to meet directly with sponsors. We will be making a mistake to go to Econet to ask for the audit, it’s the PLMC’s responsibility,” Tlopo said.
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