‘BULL’S E80 000 SUMMARY FINE

MBABANE - The Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) bank account is swelling by each passing week through disciplinary cases.

While it is increasingly becoming a nightmare for some elite clubs in terms of financial losses through disciplinary cases, the opposite is very true for the PLE. The growing number of disciplinary cases involving premier league clubs means financial gain for the organisation.

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Over the past two weeks alone, the organisation has made over E200 000 in summary fines and this is exclusive of those matters that go to full hearing before judgement is passed. Summary fines apply to the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Disciplinary Committee (DC) where a ruling is made by the PLE prosecutor Desmond Manda based on match reports without the matter going through DC hearing. Basically, the offending clubs are charged and fined without giving their side of the story because summary fines are a reference to clauses as stipulated in the MTN Premier League rules and regulations. Classified information sourced by this publication revealed that Mbabane Highlanders were the hardest-hit financially as they must pay summary fines amounting to E80 000 for four different disciplinary matters.

In two of those summary judgements, their official, Simiso Jele, is cited for allegedly sprinkling a foreign substance as spotted by match officials. This happened in Highlanders’ MTN Premier League games against Manzini Wanderers at Mavuso Sports Centre (April 14, 2021) and involving Young Buffaloes at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium in Nhlangano on April 28, 2021.

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On both occasions, the Mbabane giants were summarily fined E40 000 (E20 000 each). The other E20 000 fine stems from the league clash against Wanderers at Mavuso Sports Centre (14 April 2021) where the capital city giants are alleged to have tried to enter the tunnel using the pathways from Wanderers’ dressing room, which is said to have led to a fight between the two teams’ officials. Further, some Highlanders officials said to be accredited to occupy zone 3 areas allegedly refused to vacate zone 2 areas as per match co-ordinators instruction. The other fine was from a game against Tambuti FC on April 18, 2021 at King Sobhuza II Memorial Stadium where Highlanders officials are alleged to have refused to move out of their bus for COVID-19 screening purposes as instructed by the match co-ordinators. This is contained in the summary judgements.

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