TTM continue to struggle to pay players

The financial woes of Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) FC seem to be far from over. The club has been struggling to pay the players and its technical team since last October, and the matter is now in the hands of the PSL’s dispute-resolution chamber.

More than ten players, including Rofhiwa Tshikovhi, Themba Ndlovu and Shandu Mulovhedzi, are demanding to be paid their salaries, back-dated to October. The former technical team members, Mr Solly Luvhengo and Mr Joel Masutha, have also referred the matter to the dispute-resolution body.

TTM’s president, Mr Masala Mulaudzi, has denied that the PSL has withheld their R500 000 monthly grant for last month because they have cases of non-payment of salaries pending. He said they had not received their grant because they owed the PSL money for expenses, including travel. He added that the PSL deducted R410 000 for such expenses, but said that the outstanding R90 000 needed to be paid over. Mulaudzi said that the current situation had nothing to do with cash-flow problems, but was due to the mistakes that they had made at the beginning of the season.

Mulaudzi said that when he had bought the status, they had registered more than 40 players. The coach, however, needed fewer than 30 players, which meant that they had to release some of the players. In the case of Masutha and Luvhengo, he said that a settlement agreement had been reached with the PSL and the two players. TTM will pay the two players’ money in two monthly instalments.

Mulaudzi said that they were about to release 23 players, which had been agreed to with the resolution chamber and the players union. Some of them had already been paid, said Mulaudzi. They were left with six players who needed to be paid R180 000 by the end of the month, following the termination of their contracts.

The players' union's vice-president, Tebogo Monyai, said that he would take the matter to the Premier Soccer League’s dispute-resolution committee. The players’ union has also intervened to ensure that players’ contracts are honoured. He confirmed that they had received complaints and that they were engaging with the club.

Sport - Date: 15 March 2018

Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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