TS Galaxy owner Tim Sukazi has questioned the leadership structures of the Premier Soccer League, arguing that club owners should not form part of the executive to avoid conflicts of interest.
Sukazi spoke to Andile Ncube on Sports Night Live about a host of topics, including issues in South African football, in particular in the leadership structures.
He argued that club owners such as Golden Arrows chair woman Mato Madlala, who is currently the acting CEO of the PSL, should not also have a role in the PSL executive.
“This league has got a problem of impartiality, someone at the PSL receives the names, earlier than every other club. So I would imagine, it could be the office of the CEO because logistics for the referees have to be arranged,” he said, talking about refereeing issues first.
“So you’ve got a serious impartiality issue here. When you have, for example, I’m saying it’s a true fact, a CEO of the league owning a club this is clear conflict.
“What brought the ugly face out in this season, the issue of Golden Arrows for example having been charged by the league for having improperly registering a player.
“So now we’ve got a club owned by the CEO of the league, charged by the league via its prosecutor, whose boss is – by the rules of the league – the prosecutor of the league reports to the CEO, which is Manto, he reports to Mato Madlala, her club is charged. This is clear conflict.”
“So this leads me to wonder, on really even the sponsors how they see it? I’ll be very interested in fact I’m very prepared to take a platform with MultiChoice or Dstv, their chairman to discuss conflict in South African football and, I’ll be very interested to hear them justifying this situation to say, in accordance with our own corporate governance protocols, this is not conflict.
“It is clear conflict. It’s clear conflict of interest.
“What came out? The outcome of improperly registering a player, the rules are there, the kind of fines or punishment that has to be taken by the club are very clear and what comes out? A slap in the wrist.
“It’s just the cost, whatever the case may be, no deduction of points. Does it make sense? To me, it doesn’t make sense.”
Sukazi was adamant the PSL has an “impartiality problem” and suggested to open up positions like the one of the league’s CEO to outside person with high qualifications.
“So we’ve got an impartiality problem, and I’m not really attacking anyone, I’m just saying that these things need to be resolved for the interest of football in this country and very, very soon, sooner rather than later,” he explained.
“Otherwise, you’ll have clubs that are highly capable of being exterminated for no reason because someone out there is in the best position to manipulate certain situations, it is clear cut, once you can resolve the issue of impartiality in this league and come up with a league that is governed independently, I think you stand a better chance.
“Yes, you do need one or two or a few non Executives who are football people, just to guide the football agenda, I do admit, but they could be there on a rotational basis, for a short period of time and then otherwise, we’d have capable people.
“You can’t tell me that today there are losses that you could pick up, if you really issue an invite for the CEO position of the league. You will find people with master’s degree, they’ll come and do this thing. You’ll find accountants, you’ll find lawyers, people who are highly capable.
“I’m saying let’s not fool ourselves as a country. Let’s do the right things. Our football deserve that. Let’s have impartially, let’s install impartiality in our football. Let’s see what will happen. We have got the whole executive… people, the rules are there.
“You go to SuperSport. I think DStv, they’re well documented by having the league, they still have a club themselves in the league, Supersport United. Whatever they tell you, hence, you’ll see 99% of SuperSport United matches are being televised, obviously. What does it say to others where their matches that are not being televised?
“So the number of issues like that you could do better and I’m talking now for football South Africa.”
