TS Galaxy president Tim Sukazi has reiterated that Mato Madlala’s continuation as the acting CEO of the PSL continues to undermine the league, even if she is not at fault for the decisions taken.
He said the league should appoint an independent CEO, because Madlala’s continuation is harming the league because she is also club owner – in this case to Golden Arrows.
Madlala was appointed as the acting CEO in November 2015 following the departure of Brand de Villiers.
It is almost eight years now that she has been acting in the role, with many club officials unhappy about this.
The CEO matter was supposed to be discussed in the annual general meeting in November last year, but it was never, which means it’s business as usual as she carries on with her job.
“We need an independent CEO and we cannot have a club owner being the CEO of the league,” said Sukazi.
“I went to pain to address the conflict issues around it. People will always be left with no choice but to suspect certain things. When they see certain things happening they will point it out to the CEO.
“Sometimes you may find that our CEO lady has got nothing to do with it, but because we know the level of control will know anything that goes whichever way, they will go at it.
“Someone came to me and said, for example to illustrate one issue, ‘do you know that Golden Arrows is the only club that will go to Polokwane in the past three seasons and play two games and come out once [in one trip]?’.
“Others have to go and travel and go. You obviously go and look at the league and you realise that in other years, Arrows have gone once and play both games and every season – it happens like that.”
It was the case this season. Arrows went to Limpopo once and played Sekhukhune (lost) and Marumo Gallants (drew) respectively.
“I’m told this season it happened and I don’t really put focus on those things. I don’t know how the fixtures are done, but people will put it to the CEO,” added Sukazi.
“That the CEO gives advantage to her own club, it might not be true, but maybe it’s a lottery (of how the fixtures are done).”
Sukazi was asked how fixtures are done by the PSL. “I really don’t know to be honest,” he replied.
“Things like those, just to illustrate one small thing. And of course when you are in the office of the CEO, probably you have dealings with the appointments of referees or let’s say they are appointed by SAFA, but they must communicate with the office of the CEO to say who must go elsewhere, those types of things.
“You don’t want a club owner to be exposed to those things. We are compromising our own good servant of the game.
“Mato Madlala has contributed a lot to the game, but we are compromising her if we get her as a club owner to be exposed to fixtures, to be exposed to the appointment of referees or logistical arrangements, and many other things.
“So we need an independent CEO and that will be good for the game.”
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
