IN SUDDEN TWIST OF EVENTS AHEAD OF HUB DERBY … WANDERERS GO FOR ALLY’S WIFE
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MBABANE – Has Mbabane Highlanders Managing Director (MD) Chief Ally Kgomongwe’s wife left Moneni Pirates?
Given recent and latest reports on Pirates and Kgomongwe’s wife, Alinah More, it appears the relationship has turned bitter following the non-payment of players and staff salaries with no fewer than three months now.
As this happens between More and Pirates, financially struggling and relegation survivors Manzini Wanderers are reportedly knocking heavily on More’s door.
“And they will be meeting with her soon in Pretoria. I don’t know what will happen but I can tell you Wanderers are said to have impressed her with their proposal and they used their relegation survival among other negotiating points,” an impeccable source said. It is understood that Wanderers is expected to send a party to Pretoria to meet with her soon over a possible takeover.
Recall
“You may recall that More had met with them and even showed interest to lead them sometime late last season after meeting her during a church service in South Africa. It didn’t happen at the time because Wanderers already had Cedric Matatha as their MD before he left in the early stages of the current season,” explained the source.
This essentially makes up for an interesting hub derby fixture in the MTN Premier League on Sunday at Mavuso Sports Centre as Pirates will have more than just the maximum points and bragging rights to fight for but to also spite Wanderers over the potential ‘steal’ of their director.
More stopped funding Pirates salaries a few months ago and lamented alleged lack of accountability and transparency from the ‘Sea Robbers’ of Moneni. History also has it that Kgomongwe once rescued Wanderers with about E70 000 to give to players, who had not been paid salaries three seasons ago.
While efforts to get More are not always successful, she had said last time she spoke to our weekly publication, the Times SUNDAY that she did not want Pirates’ money but involvement through transparent accounting of finances and their expenditure.
Among other things, as reported last Sunday, is that she requested the team to open a bank account she could also be responsible for, something Pirates have said can only happen once she visits them in the country and have a meeting with them.
“Like I said last week when you wanted her for unpaid salaries at Moneni, I prefer talking about my team. I can only advise her to run the team like I do with Highlanders, where I am in full control having got 80 per cent stake there. I can’t deny nor confirm anything about Wanderers at this stage,” Kgomongwe preferred to say in his response but his wife saved Pirates from a Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) suspension or ban as they would not have been able to register for the current season. Kgomongwe, meanwhile, had also tried to help Wanderers forge a relationship with another South African businessman Helden Maja but it did not work out.
Talks
Maja had also held talks with Mbabane Swallows when the red and white side President Archbishop Bheki Lukhele wanted to have a co-director since he is in and out of the country often times.
Wanderers’Premier League of Eswatini (PLE) Governor Lawyer Bongani ‘Bhanyaza’Mdluli met Maja. Questioned about the latest, he asked not to say much for now without denying the news.
“At Wanderers we have a structure in accordance with our constitution, which has been there since we became a company. So, we got our shares still selling and target E5 million after selling all 10 000 shares. Yes, we have and are talking to various people who can come in as directors and help fulfil our E5m dream.
Relegation
“At least now the season is over and we’re no longer talking relegation. This will give us time to conclude talks with certain individuals we had approached, but because the plane was already moving, we couldn’t get to seal all the potential deals,” Mdluli responded. He clarified that going into names now could ruin things for them with certain individuals otherwise ‘we do have some people in place that we need to conclude with’.
On another note, news filtering in from Pirates is that they were also set to be joined by one of the former Wanderers directors (name deliberately withheld).
Pirates Chairman Lawyer Osborne Nzima could not be immediately reached when sought for comment and had not responded to the text sent to him over the issue.
Club Manager Twoman Masuku also did not answer his cellphone when called while the same text to Nzima was forwarded to him but in vain.