‘BHANYAZA’ STEPS DOWN

MBABANE – Another blow for Manzini Wanderers. For the past two months, the hub giants have dominated newspaper headlines due to their financial shortcomings that saw players paid half their salaries in October and have not received a cent for last month. Just as they were expected to work around these challenges as per their meeting with players last Wednesday, one key official has stepped down while two contemplate following suit.

Their Management Committee (MC) Chairman Bongani ‘Bhanyaza’ Mdluli has officially left his position while General Manager Finance Sabelo Nxumalo also did same and efforts to make him change his mind were underway. Also, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sandile ‘Ntofo’ Dlamini, is also expected to step down anytime.

It was gathered that after Mdluli, a lawyer by profession, convened an all-inclusive meeting on Tuesday night, he and Nxumalo announced they were stepping down. Dlamini is said to have hinted to be following suit as well but that is yet to happen if it does. “I informed the meeting that I am stepping down as I need to attend a six-month course in South Africa. I am only stepping down as the team’s MC Chairman otherwise I’ll continue to offer my legal services as per the position before I was chairman.

“It’s about attending to my professional issues but I’ll be in the country and will assist where I can,” Mdluli said.
Of his Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Board of Governors’ position as Wanderers’ representative, he said that was not going to be affected.
“I will continue as Wanderers’ official at the PLE,” he explained. Present in the meeting were the Council of Elders, ex-players, Management Committee (MC), National Supporters Committee (NSC), the team’s head coach Nyanga ‘Crooks’ Hlophe and captain Lwazi ‘Shana’ Maziya. This is said to have been a lengthy meeting characterised by several issues which sources termed as ‘unworkable conditions’. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said while the team had football structures in place, it was still run by one ‘unrecognised’ structure.

discredit

“If you don’t do things as they want, they will find every way to discredit the efforts and they go around gossiping about the recognised structures,” claimed one source, who was in the meeting and further clarified that it was not the elders they were referring to but some group of people they would not mention at this stage.

Nxumalo was also reached for comment on the latest news. “I have been invited to a meeting this evening in a bid to try and make me change my mind so I can only comment tomorrow,” he said.

Nxumalo was once reported to have quit the position over three months ago but according to him, he continued. However, he did say that leaving the MC did not mean he could not assist, especially because he was born a ‘Weslian’. 

The CEO of the team, Dlamini, could only confirm the meeting took place in a certain restaurant at Riverstone Mall. “MC members contemplate leaving. Personally, I’m still in office and haven’t left yet. I don’t know for now if it will or not happen,” he said.

This news come in the wake of the club’s financial woes with players, the PLE in respect of fines and ‘loan’ as well as the Leon Manyisa case verdict that was against them and resulted to the loss of the three points.

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