Feuds send Baloyi packing

CONSTANT tiffs between Mamelodi Sundowns commercial and marketing manager Brian Baloyi and club GM Kenneth Makhanya finally ripped apart a relationship founded on shaky grounds.

The long-standing impasse is said to be the genuine reason Baloyi resigned this week, leaving a team where he spent seven years, as a player and later as an official.

A terse statement released by the club on Thursday said Baloyi would be leaving to pursue personal business interests.

But the Sunday World learnt that Baloyi was being crucified for a Morgan Gould deal which never materialised due to delay on the part of the Sundowns management.

Gould joined Kaizer Chiefs three weeks ago, a move said not to have gone well with club owner and president Patrice Motsepe.

Our deep-throat says Baloyi was made a scapegoat when Motsepe demanded answers for the team’s failure to acquire the Bafana Bafana defender, who had voiced his ambitions to join Sundowns.

The source alleges that charges were trumped up to nail Baloyi, who Makhanya disliked for his outspokeness and ambition as a football administrator.

Baloyi was summoned to a disciplinary hearing where he was found guilty on the charges, which included that of coming late to a management meeting, last Friday.

The last straw was when Baloyi was threatened with a fine after he wanted to appeal the DC’s decision.

An urgent meeting was summarily convened where Motsepe, club’s legal eagle Yugesh Singh and Makhanya met with Baloyi to decide his fate. “The president was made to believe Baloyi was the reason Gould opted to join Chiefs,” said the source.

“But truth is, they [Sundowns] dragged their feet and both Trott Moloto and Makhanya woke quite late, when Chiefs had already made their move.

“Brian served as conduit between Sundowns and the player and in the end he was fingered as the reason Gould went to Naturena. How ludicrous of Makhanya to even suggest that Baloyi had the interests of Chiefs at heart over that of Sundowns.

“It is sad how things have turned out.”

Pressed for comment, Makhanya said:

“I deny the allegations. I had a good working relationship with Brian. Personally, I don’t feel good losing him.”