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PSL red cards Trevor Manuel
01/10/2007 22:02 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has expressed disappointment with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel for involving himself in its affairs and has written to Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile, asking him to intervene, the SABC reported on Monday.
Manuel has described commission payments to soccer officials as part of R500m sponsorship deal between the PSL and Absa Bank as "morally reprehensible and corrupt".
This came after the PSL and the bank announced the R500m agreement over five years to sponsor the league. An alleged 10% incentive, or R40m, will be paid into the personal bank accounts of each of the five members of the negotiating team.
Recently there was also an outcry over the R30m bonuses paid following the R1.6bn SuperSport International deal for soccer TV broadcast rights.
At the root of the controversy is a PSL resolution decreeing a 10% commission payment for all monies secured for the PSL - with the League's Sponsorship Committee of chair Irvin Khoza, former CEO Trevor Phillips, Kaizer Chiefs chair Kaizer Motaung, Golden Arrows director Mato Madlala and consultant Peter Mancer due to share more than a staggering R200m between them.
"My understanding," said Manuel in a scathing attack, "is that individuals are elected onto the League's various committees to serve the interests of the sport, not in the expectation of acquiring personal fortunes to the detriment of the organisation they are representing."
'Whole deal was morally wrong'
PSL chair Khoza said on Monday: "A lot of people are talking from an uninformed position, and some people are making reckless statements which are uncalled for... Some of them don't attend meetings of the PSL."
Khoza was responding after Manuel wrote a letter to Absa's chief executive Steve Booysen, which, the SABC reported, fell just short of directly accusing the bank of bribery and corruption.
Manuel had said the whole deal was morally wrong, but Khoza would have preferred Manuel to speak to the PSL first before engaging the media.
"This type of publicity is bad for football, and sponsorship issues in relation to Safa..." said Khoza.
On Monday, the PSL invited Absa's top executives to brief them. On Monday night Manuel said he hoped Absa would consider the matter with corporate governance in mind.
"The constitution is very clear in saying that the enrichment of individuals is not permitted," he said.
"I hope that they will dot the i's and cross the t's. Dr Booysen has said to me that they [were] looking at heads of agreement at this stage and the detail will have to resolve these issues.
"I hope and trust that they will act in the best interest of corporate governance," he said.
However, the SABC reported that the bank has since denied that it agreed to pay the commission, saying the bonuses were an internal PSL agreement.
Appalled at reports
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) has come out in support of Manuel in his criticism of Absa.
Cosatu is appalled at reports that "Absa is to pay R50m into the private bank accounts of the soccer administrators who awarded the bank the contract to become the new sponsor of soccer in South Africa", the federation said in a statement on Monday.
"We agree totally with Trevor Manuel that these payments amount to a 'bribe' and 'can easily be called corruption'."
Soccer administrators were appointed to serve the sport, the players, the clubs and their millions of supporters.
While their responsibilities legitimately included seeking business sponsorship, it was immoral, if not illegal, for them to receive huge bonuses and commissions from sponsors for performing their normal duties.
Cosatu agreed fully with Manuel that the individuals concerned were elected into office to serve the interests of the sports code.
The SABC said the PSL would hold a special meeting of its executive committee on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
- SAPA
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