SAFA national does not recognise the two arbitration processes that determined the Buffalo City SAB Regional League 2014-15 champions, it was established yesterday.
As a result, Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble has ordered an investigation that should establish who was the mastermind behind the controversial “two processes, termed as arbitration’s” involving warring football clubs, Parkside Sporting and Future Tigers.
In a letter seen by the Saturday Dispatch yesterday, Mumble revealed that both processes that took place on June 30 and July 3 were flawed and “unprocedural”.
The Safa-BC champions had to be decided through arbitration after a series of boardroom squabbles between the two protagonists.
The first hearing on June 30, saw Parkside Sporting leapfrog Tigers and crowned champions.
But, just two days later the decision was reversed by another arbitration which went Tigers’ way.
Tigers went on to successfully represent the region at the provincial playoffs in Matatiele, this past weekend, thus winning promotion to the provincial ABC Motsepe League for next season.
However, Mumble has since rubbished the processes that paved way for Tigers’ road to Matatiele, saying it was unprocedural and not sanctioned by him as per Safa’s disciplinary code and therefore does not hold.
Safa head office has since offered to assist the parties to comply with the “proper procedures”.
In the letter dated July 9 and in the possession of the Saturday Dispatch, Mumble states that the national office was in the dark about both arbitration hearings.
He added that this was not supposed to be the case as “arbitration’s are strictly convened by the Safa head office only,” and no one else.
“At no time was I called or petitioned to initiate an arbitration process in the Safa-Buffalo City region.
“As I had not been consulted regarding the request for arbitration’s and, more importantly, did not appoint an arbitrator in either of these two cases, the proceedings were therefore not constitutionally correct,” wrote Mumble in the letter addressed to Safa-BC president Prince Sibam.
In the letter, Mumble says he had received a report from Sibam mid-week informing the mother body of the two controversial arbitration’s, processes which Mumble says have since been “administratively dismissed”.
Mumble further revealed that he had instructed Safa’s compliance department “to assess who was responsible for the unprocedural manner in which these two processes” unfolded.
Safa-BC director of competitions Abel Iglesias yesterday put the blame squarely on Sibam, saying “the mess the regional structure finds itself in was the president’s own making”.
Iglesias further charged that Sibam “was directly involved in the setting up of the two controversial hearings”.
Sibam, yesterday, however refused to comment and instead referred queries to head office.
Sporting boss Graham Lottering said Sibam and Safa-BC secretary-general Vukile Mlanjana, who is also Tigers boss, must carry the brunt of the blame for the shenanigans in the regional structure.
He added that “they must do the honourable thing and resign for bringing football in the region into disrepute”.
Mlanjana also preferred not to comment on the matter saying he had been instructed by his legal team to refrain from publicly commenting on the matter.
The third arbitration hearing to be coordinated by Safa national is expected to put the matter to rest and determine who the legitimate Safa-BC champions are.
Sources within head office yesterday revealed that if Tigers win this third round, the results of last weekend’s provincial playoffs will stand but if Sporting emerge victorious, the playoffs may have to be replayed.
Safa probes row over league title
As a result, Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble has ordered an investigation that should establish who was the mastermind behind the controversial “two processes, termed as arbitration’s” involving warring football clubs, Parkside Sporting and Future Tigers.
In a letter seen by the Saturday Dispatch yesterday, Mumble revealed that both processes that took place on June 30 and July 3 were flawed and “unprocedural”.
The Safa-BC champions had to be decided through arbitration after a series of boardroom squabbles between the two protagonists.
The first hearing on June 30, saw Parkside Sporting leapfrog Tigers and crowned champions.
But, just two days later the decision was reversed by another arbitration which went Tigers’ way.
Tigers went on to successfully represent the region at the provincial playoffs in Matatiele, this past weekend, thus winning promotion to the provincial ABC Motsepe League for next season.
However, Mumble has since rubbished the processes that paved way for Tigers’ road to Matatiele, saying it was unprocedural and not sanctioned by him as per Safa’s disciplinary code and therefore does not hold.
Safa head office has since offered to assist the parties to comply with the “proper procedures”.
In the letter dated July 9 and in the possession of the Saturday Dispatch, Mumble states that the national office was in the dark about both arbitration hearings.
He added that this was not supposed to be the case as “arbitration’s are strictly convened by the Safa head office only,” and no one else.
“At no time was I called or petitioned to initiate an arbitration process in the Safa-Buffalo City region.
“As I had not been consulted regarding the request for arbitration’s and, more importantly, did not appoint an arbitrator in either of these two cases, the proceedings were therefore not constitutionally correct,” wrote Mumble in the letter addressed to Safa-BC president Prince Sibam.
In the letter, Mumble says he had received a report from Sibam mid-week informing the mother body of the two controversial arbitration’s, processes which Mumble says have since been “administratively dismissed”.
Mumble further revealed that he had instructed Safa’s compliance department “to assess who was responsible for the unprocedural manner in which these two processes” unfolded.
Safa-BC director of competitions Abel Iglesias yesterday put the blame squarely on Sibam, saying “the mess the regional structure finds itself in was the president’s own making”.
Iglesias further charged that Sibam “was directly involved in the setting up of the two controversial hearings”.
Sibam, yesterday, however refused to comment and instead referred queries to head office.
Sporting boss Graham Lottering said Sibam and Safa-BC secretary-general Vukile Mlanjana, who is also Tigers boss, must carry the brunt of the blame for the shenanigans in the regional structure.
He added that “they must do the honourable thing and resign for bringing football in the region into disrepute”.
Mlanjana also preferred not to comment on the matter saying he had been instructed by his legal team to refrain from publicly commenting on the matter.
The third arbitration hearing to be coordinated by Safa national is expected to put the matter to rest and determine who the legitimate Safa-BC champions are.
Sources within head office yesterday revealed that if Tigers win this third round, the results of last weekend’s provincial playoffs will stand but if Sporting emerge victorious, the playoffs may have to be replayed.
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