GROUND RENT HIKE DILEMMA FOR ‘BULL’

EZULWINI – It is a huge hike for capital city giants Mbabane Highlanders.
The black and white ensemble was this week stunned by its Ezulwini Sports Ground leasers, the Royal Swazi Sun Hotel, which informed them the monthly rent had been increased from E2 000 to E5  000.

This is news that the club received with shock on Tuesday afternoon. In reaction to the latest, an impeccable source said the club’s director Chief Ally Kgomongwe resolved to approach the hotel’s partners, Tibiyo TakaNgwane.

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“They met Dr. A.T. Dlamini at Tibiyo over the issue yesterday morning (Wednesday) who I can safely say was ready to assist in the matter,” said the source, who added that the meeting with the former Prime Minister Dr Absalom Themba Dlamini went well, but the latter was due to personally meet the hotel to try and reach common ground.


the source said the club could not believe how the rent hike jumped so high, having used the ground for years now. “It’s true, the rent has been increased and as a club we’re hopeful to have it resolved amicably with the relevant stakeholders,” diplomatically responded a top official at Highlanders, on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, Tibiyo are shareholders in the hotel. Kgomongwe, who had to deal with the training ground issue among his first assignments last June when he took over, finds himself facing the same challenge again.

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Last time, the hotel’s lease had been cut off after the team executive quit and now it’s the hiked rent. Reached for comment, Kgomongwe was diplomatic in addressing the issue. “It was not a crisis but it all had to do with contractual terms for renting the sports ground in the new year,” he said.

The South Africa-born businessman and politician said all was sorted, without going into details. The businessman said the lessor had not presented them with the new contract for 2020, without disclosing whether or not there was rent hike. “They have prepared the contract and the issue is not tampering with our preparations for the Ingwenyama Cup game on Sunday (tomorrow).

Preparations are going well and we are waiting for them to bring us the contract,” he said. Meanwhile, Tibiyo MD confirmed that some of Highlanders officials came to him to ask for assistance over the rent hike issue.

“The matter is in good hands and will be addressed appropriately at the appropriate level. I can confirm that some of the team officials approached me for assistance and the matter is being dealt with,” he said.
The MD said he could assure that the situation would soon be normalised as they were working on it.

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