Revered football administrator Sinky Mnisi, who was red carded by Marumo Gallants after his failed sangoma-sponsored bid to propel the team to the premiership league, has scored a R1.7 -million windfall for unfair dismissal.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that the National Soccer League (NSL) and the South African Football Association (Safa) have issued an award to deduct R1.7- million from Leruma United FC and pay it to Mnisi.
This after the two soccer bodies ruled that he was unfairly dismissed by Gallants last year.
Gallants, who were plying their trade in the First Division, bought PSL outfit Moroka Swallows and sold its status to United, hence the money was docked from the latter’s grant.
News that Mnisi has mopped the floor with Gallants came to the fore when United general manager, Lucky Mokgotho, filed an urgent application in the Joburg High Court last week to interdict the NSL and Safa from docking the staggering quantum from their grant.
Mnisi was paid over R1-million in four months by Gallants to help the team bounce back to the money-spinning PSL.
The staggering quantum includes Mnisi’s mouth-watering monthly salary of R200 000 and money to pay the sangoma.
But Mnisi and Gallants’s plan of relying on magic from traditional healers instead of technical football acumen to win the league boomeranged because the club lost several matches and failed lackadaisically to bounce back to the PSL. As a result, Gallants fired Mnisi and later approached the Joburg High Court last year and demanded their money back from him.
Mnisi lodged a complaint with the NSL’s dispute resolution committee, which found in his favour and took a decision to dock the money from the grant.
In the papers, which we have seen, Mokgotho argued that it would be unlawful for Safa and NSL to deduct the funds because they have appealed the findings of the dispute resolution committee (DRC), which had found in Mnisi’s favour.
Relating the matter, Mokgotho said on November 7, 2023, Mnisi issued a letter of demand to United, stating the alleged repudiation of contract and his intention to approach the DRC to claim damages.
Gallants, he stated, filed a statement of defence, and the dispute was heard and adjudicated by the DRC.
“On Friday, May 3, 2024, the DRC gave notification of its award with motivation to
Marumo Gallants FC.
“On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Marumo Gallants FC appealed the DRC award to Safa arbitration. In terms of the provisions of rule … the lodgement of an appeal against the decision of the DRC suspends the operation or execution of the award until the appeal is finalised and an arbitration award is notified,” read the papers.
Mokgotho further stated that on May 7 last year, Gallants served its appeal papers on the NSL and Mnisi by email. Mnisi did not file his notice to oppose the appeal. He said Mnisi, instead of filling a notice to oppose, sent a letter to United alleging its failure to comply with the DRC award. He also wrote to NSL and Safa requesting them to deduct the award from Gallants’s monthly grant.
He said upon the lodgement of the appeal, Safa was obliged to convene and constitute an arbitration panel that complies with the Fifa circular 1010 of 2010.
On October 1 last year, he said, the CEO of Safa issued a letter, dismissing Gallants’s appeal, citing late filing and payment of the appeal and appeal fees, respectively, as the reasons.
Mokgotho said these allegations were factually incorrect in that the appeal and the appeal fees had been paid on time.
“In fact, and in addition, Safa was at that time and is now indebted to Marumo Gallants FC and Leruma United FC in respect of deposits of appeal fees that were never refunded by
Safa. Marumo Gallants and Leruma United have never received a refund of its deposits from Safa. Mokgotho said Safa had not used the deposit paid by Marumo Gallants FC and
Leruma United FC to pay the arbitrator as envisaged.”
He said the NSL executive committee approved the sale and transfer of Gallants to
United on December 15 last year. Afterwards, he said, the NSL deducted R1.7-million in respect of the award granted by the DRC in favour of Mnisi.
“On December 15, 2024, an email was sent to the NSL to query the deduction of
Gallants’ grants.”
On December 27, 2024, the NSL addressed a letter to Marumo Gallants FC advising Marumo Gallants FC and Leruma United FC that the award of Marumo Gallants FC shall be released to Marumo Gallants FC and Leruma United FC and that the award deducted from Marumo Gallants FC’s grant shall be released to Marumo Gallants FC and Leruma United FC.
It stated that it was obliged to pay the award by January 17, 2025, failing which the league shall deduct from Leruma United FC’s monthly grant.
