Bvuma’s salary an own goal for Amakhosi

Quite often we hear of local clubs tying up players with “slave wages” but there has always been little to back these claims.

This week, we ran a story on Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, the 22-year-old who hogged the headlines two months ago, following revelations that he had been earning R5 000 a month since his promotion to the senior team in March.

We commend SA Football Players Union (Safpu) for coming forward with the proof – the actual contract – confirming Bvuma’s R5 000 salary as well as detailing how the figure, effective as of July 1, has increased to R8 000 a month in the coming season, and is set to reach R15 000 by July 2020.

It is disappointing that a well-respected club like Chiefs would get caught up in such an act, given the impression many people have of the institution that should be among the best-paying clubs in the PSL.

It is even sad to hear that the club allegedly blocked Safpu’s attempt to negotiate with the club in a bid to secure a better deal for the player.

We feel sorry for Bvuma, and understandably, neither he nor his representatives can come out to set the record straight.

We hope Chiefs will see the bigger picture in this whole saga and clear their name, otherwise Bvuma will not be seen as an ambassador for the brand, but will always be remembered as the “R5 000 Chiefs goalie.”

Slave salaries should be a thing of the past in this day and age where the local professional league is ranked among the best in the world, and clubs like Chiefs considered trendsetters.