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MBABANE - The High Court of Eswatini has granted an interim order setting aside the suspension of former national team player Norman Khoza.
Khoza, who is attached with the Royal Eswatini Pool Service (REPS) Pool Team, had been suspended from the sport’s activities alongside Flag Nxumalo following alleged gross misconduct during a national team assignment in Zambia over two months ago.
The Eswatini Cue Sports Association, which is a respondent in the matter, is the mother body of pool in the country.
Hearing
Khoza ran to court, seeking among other prayers, the lifting of his suspension. He further prayed for his disciplinary hearing to be pushed forward.
Acting High Court Judge Thami Dlamini granted the interim order this past Tuesday.
In the matter filed under a certificate of urgency, Khoza claimed that the respondent had unreasonably set a date for the hearing for July 22 this year.
He felt by that time he would have missed participating in more than half of the games played in the league. As a result, he sought an order directing Eswatini Cue Sports Association to hold the disciplinary hearing within a period of five days from the date of the judgment.
Games
In his founding affidavit, Khoza said his hearing was initially set for April 18, but it was eventually postponed because it was the Easter Monday holiday. Khoza, who is protesting about missing half a dozen games already, said there had been disagreements over the hearing date until he was informed of the July 22 date. “It is plain that the respondent simply wants to sustain the suspension in perpetuity until the league season comes to a close,” he alleged.
Khoza alleged that he was currently suffering irreparable harm in that he had lost out on participating in games for his team.
“I’m currently not eligible for selection for the national team that is scheduled to play in the World Cup in Morocco in October 2022.
“My career as a professional pool player is being severely compromised,” he claimed.
Khoza is represented by Manqoba Tsambokhulu from Maseko Tsambokhulu Attorneys. The respondent is yet to file its papers outlining why the interim order should not be made final. The matter is pending in court.