ERNEST-LY SUING PIRATES

MBABANE – Moneni Pirates Football Club has been taken to court by its coach over unpaid salary.

Ernest Mavuso, who was only on Monday elevated to the position of manager/coach by the Moneni Buccaneers’, wants the Industrial Court to order the team to pay him fully the arrear wages from the date when the parties agreed to the employment contract; that is from November 17, 2020 to April 30, 2021. He is further praying for an order directing the team to pay him wages when they became due. In his founding Mavuso submitted that on November 17, 2020, he concluded a contract of employment with the respondent (Moneni Pirates Football Club).  According to the coach, the contract of employment was for a fixed period. “The contract was concluded to run for the duration of two football seasons beginning from November 2020 running until the end of season 2020/2021 and for 2021/2022 season. This is contained in the contract of employment between me and the respondent under the headline “Duration” clause 1,” contended Mavuso.

He averred that the respondent had allegedly failed and/or neglected to pay his wages since the commencement of the agreement until the end of April 2021.  Mavuso told the court that this was a violation of Clause 16 of the employment contract under the heading “Remuneration paid to the coach”. “However, I wish to state that, on May 20, 2021 I was given an amount of E8 000 which I was informed was my salary for the month of May 2021. The payment of E8 000 is not in accordance with the contract of employment,” contended the coach. These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the team is yet to file its papers in the event it is disputing the allegations leveled against it by the coach.

Failed

It was further his submission that the team had allegedly failed or neglected to respond to a letter of demand dated May 7, 2021. Annexed to Mavuso’s court papers is a copy of the letter of demand that was allegedly written to the team by his lawyer. “I am entitled to the wages in terms of the contract of employment. I have honestly and faithfully provided my services to the respondent since the commencement of the contract,” he argued.
He told the court that the team had no legal basis to unilaterally withhold his wages with no legal basis communicated to him. Mavuso said the act of withholding his wages by the team was unlawful and irrational. Mavuso contended that the failure or refusal by the team to pay his wages was prejudicial to him because he was unable to pay his monthly bills. He also brought it to the attention of the court that he had dependents who looked up to him for their daily basic needs.

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