‘UNDER CONTROL’, SICELO MKHONTA FOR PLE CHAIRMANSHIP

MBABANE – Midnight was the cut-off time for the PLE Annual General Meeting (AGM) submissions for proposals and nominations for executive elections.

PLE is an acronym for Premier League of Eswatini (PLE). Of the 26 member teams at the PLE, each was expected to nominate one candidate for the position of chairman and four for executive committee membership. The nominations were coming in gradually according to our impeccable sources within the PLE, but it was expected some tams would email theirs before midnight.

Nonetheless, the close of business for the PLE at 5pm yesterday still had worthy news. Former Mbabane Swallows Board of Directors Secretary and Businessman Bongani ‘Under Control’ Mamba is the surprise package for the chairman position.  Interestingly, nominating him was not Swallows but one of the Lubombo teams.

“He is among the nominees for the chairman position and I eave-dropped that one of the Lubombo teams in Super League nominated him,” said a source close to the sugar-belt side.
Mamba was among the names already nominated by 5pm yesterday, others being the likes of Manzini Sea Birds Board of Governor and Executive Committee member Sicelo Mkhonta, Denver Sundowns Chairman and PLE Executive Committee member, Mark Carmichael and outgoing Chairman, Peter ‘Touch’ Magagula.

Mkhonta had already been nominated by Thursday but for executive committee membership while yesterday, a nomination for the main position of chairman was submitted, meaning all three outgoing executive members and chairman are in the running.
“We haven’t seen the nominations or proposals yet as they immediately get sealed into one closet until a time when the PLE Executive Committee gets to meet, open them for discussion and consideration. It is only then that a press conference will follow to announce the nominees officially,” commented PLE Chief Operations Officer (COO) Pat Vilakati.

deadline

Vilakati said his was to only confirm that yesterday was the deadline for the submissions otherwise he would not know who nominated who at this stage especially because not all members had done so.
“The deadline is at midnight so we all don’t know yet. Even the Executive Committee was here but only to ensure all was sealed and remained so until the executive meets. Some clubs will email and we’ll know what time the email came in so there’ll be no cheating,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Mamba’s nomination may not stand as the PLE Constitution stipulates that for one to qualify for the Chairman position, he or she ‘shall be a person who has played an active role in association football (e.g. as Board of Governor, official of a Member Club or an Official within the PLE or EFA) for two of the last five years before being proposed candidate. That is Article 29.3 of the PLE Constitution.

The same two years applies for officials who may want to be in the executive committee.
No immediate comment could be obtained from Mamba while Mkhonta said he would only confirm his nomination or comment on it once he had seen the nominations.

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