Africa-Press – South-Africa. Durban City are finally the official champions of the Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) and promoted to the Betway Premiership after an arbitration dismissed two cases against the Durban team.
City clinched the MFC with their 2-0 win against Cape Town Spurs at Athlone Stadium on May 18. That result also condemned Spurs — the club formerly known as Ajax Cape Town, who were relegated from the Premiership in 2023-24 — to relegation from the MFC.
However, the trophy and prize money were not presented to City — formerly Maritzburg United, who relocated to Durban and were renamed ahead of the 2024-25 season. That was because there was a case pending by seventh-placed finishers JDR Stars over the proper registration and eligibility of City winger Saziso Magawana by the KwaZulu-Natal team.
That case was dismissed by the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) disciplinary committee (DC) on May 20, however PSL prosecutor Zola Majavu revealed a further case was brought to the DC by Spurs.
Spurs and Stars have since taken the matter to arbitration, where on Monday arbitrator advocate Hilton Epstein SC dismissed the two clubs’ cases against City.
Epstein’s ruling stated: “The appeal of JDR Stars is dismissed. The protests of JDR Stars and Cape Town Spurs and the charges levelled against Durban City and the player are dismissed.”
JDR Stars and Spurs were ordered to “pay all costs arising from its protest against City and the player on scale C of the high court tariff, including all costs of the arbitration and arbitrator”.
Stars or Spurs, or both, can take the matter to the high court should they wish to take it further.
The cases have been holding up the PSL’s promotion-relegation playoffs as City might have had points deducted.
The playoffs are not ready to resume yet. Cape Town City have challenged the result of the 1-1 Premiership draw between SuperSport United and Lamontville Golden Arrows in Pretoria that had its second half completed last week, three months after the game was abandoned due to a lights failure.
The point gained from that game saw SuperSport avoid the 15th-placed playoff position, which went to City.
The Citizens have pointed out that the PSL’s rules state in such a case a fixture has to be completed within 48 hours with the same personnel on the field.
That arbitration is reportedly being heard on Wednesday.
Ordinarily the 16th-placed Premiership side is automatically relegated and the 15th team goes to the promotion-relegation playoffs. This season, due to Royal AM’s expulsion, only the 15th-positioned side goes to the playoffs, with no side dropping automatically.
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