AmaZulu official Simanga Mchunu has been found guilty of “unsavoury, unwelcome, discriminatory and sexually derogatory nature” directed at a female Orlando Pirates official.
An AmaZulu official has been suspended for three months after offensive comments against a female Orlando Pirates official.
He was suspended for 3 months from all football-related activities by the PSL DC.
AmaZulu were further directed to take their officials to in the security department to a sensitivity and gender neutrality workshop.
“I can confirm that yesterday the PSL DC concluded two matters,” PSL Prosecutor Zola Majavu stated.
“The first one was a complaint by a female official of Orlando Pirates Football Club directed at a male official of AmaZulu Football Club. The nature of the complaint was comments of an unsavoury, unwelcome, discriminatory, and sexually derogatory nature directed to the female official.
“At the commencement of the hearing, the respondent Mr Simanga Mchunu pleaded not guilty. After the evidence of the complainant female official, he requested to formally tender an apology and also to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.
“As a prosecutor I accepted that change of plea, however, belated it might have been, in the result the PSL DC then found Mr. Mchunu guilty as charged, as well as found his employer AmaZulu Football Club guilty as charged.
“Having tendered such apology, which apology was welcomed by the affected and aggrieved official from Orlando Pirates, and having listened to the submissions, both in aggravation and mitigation of sentence and recognizing the uniqueness and seriousness of this particular case, the PSL DC ruled as follows.
“One Mister Simanga Mchunu is banned from all footballing activities for an effective period of three months.
“Two, his employer AmaZulu Football Club is further directed to send all its officials in the security and communications departments for a diversity and gender sensitivity, and related issues that deal with discrimination, homophobia, and any other comments that may be stripping others of their dignity.
“Recognising that such an exercise would in itself be an expensive one, the PSL DC decided not to issue a monetary fine against the employer being AmaZulu Football Club. Over and above that, they were further directed to carry the pro rata costs of the DC sittings. mindful of the fact that there was another matter that was finalized on the same day.
“The DC specifically sounded a serious warning on the likes of the complainant and those who might be tempted to behave in a manner that potentially strip any other person, and that the jurisdiction of the league of their dignity, that this is something that they will treat with the seriousness and firmness it deserves.
“The AmaZulu Football Club was further directed to send a written apology to the league and sponsors and carry such apology on each website and a copy there have to be flighted on the PSL website within seven days of the date of the order.”
