Times Of Swaziland: FULL PAY FOR ‘BIRDS’ PLAYERS! FULL PAY FOR ‘BIRDS’ PLAYERS! ================================================================================ BY THEMBA ZWANE on 26/01/2021 00:27:00 MBABANE – Despite the nearly three months break, Mbabane Swallows will continue paying players’ salaries in full. Elite league players were reportedly concerned about looming salary cuts due to the fact that football is currently suspended following the strengthened partial lockdown recently announced by Acting Prime Minister Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku. Many other club bosses have also not hidden the fact that the situation is being closely monitored and it will be difficult to pay players in full when football is suspended. agreements This is not the case with the ‘Beautiful Birds’ of Mbabane. According to Communications and Marketing Manager Mancoba Mabuza, players and the technical team will be paid as per their contractual agreements. “Mbabane Swallows Football Club has professional contracts with players and other staff members including the technical bench and these contracts are guided by, among other things, confidentiality clauses. “We can also add that the club is currently adhering to these contractual agreements,” responded Mabuza in a statement. The capital city giants’ spokesperson had been asked to shed light on whether the team President Archbishop Bheki Lukhele had financially assisted the team as times were difficult with COVID-19 infections on the rise and currently with no games. testing He had also been asked if the president had financially contributed to assisting the team for COVID-19 testing of players and officials as well as for any other needs. “First and foremost, it is well known that the club is financially supported by the president and we fail to understand the significance of your reference to the ‘difficulty with COVID-19’ part of your question because the president takes care of the club at all times,” he said. Mabuza further shed light that the president himself was part of the team. professionals “Our players are professionals who get remunerated and when they have needs, they are able to sort out such things by themselves; when we were playing under the COVID-19 pandemic, the club was responsible for the testing (COVID-19 testing), in accordance with the relevant football rules and regulations,” read part of the statement. Meanwhile, most premier league players randomly interviewed by this publication had welcomed the extended partial lockdown with a heavy heart. life In separate interviews, the elite league players were all in agreement that life must always come first before sports. At the same time though, they all could not overlook the negative effects of suspending sports for almost a month and a half.