Coach Pitso Mosimane’s agent and wife, Moira Tlhagale, said she could not complain about how Sundowns discriminated against her as its then-club president, Patrice Motsepe, is more powerful than her.
She was speaking on Monday at the Johannesburg High Court while under intense cross-examination by Sundowns’ lawyer, Advocate Vincent Maleka SC.
Tlhagale, who represents MT Sports and Marketing, said this while emphasising that she stands by her view that Mamelodi Sundowns treated her unfairly in its business dealings with her because she is a black woman.
Discriminated on gender and race basis
Tlhagale said Sundowns discriminated against her on the basis of her race and gender because it did not pay her her agent commission after she negotiated contracts for Mosimane as a head coach of Sundowns in 2012 and 2016.
She also said that in her dealings with Sundowns, she was always treated as Mosimane’s wife and not his agent.
She further said the clause that existed in the contract Mosimane signed with Sundowns in 2020 was not present in contracts that other “white male” agents negotiated for their clients when signing with Sundowns.
Tlhagale made reference to a clawback clause inserted by Sundowns in her contract, which was, according to her, not in other agents’ contracts.
She said other agents, Mike Makaab, who represents Sundowns assistant coach Manqoba Mngqithi, and Steve Kapeluschnik, who is the agent of Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena, did not have this clause in their contracts, which they signed with Sundowns in 2020.
Tlhagale said she did not tell Sundowns about its alleged racism and sexism towards her because “the club president, Patrice Motsepe, is superior and more powerful than her”.
She was speaking on Monday at the Johannesburg High Court while under intense cross-examination by Sundowns’ lawyer, Advocate Vincent Maleka SC.
Bitter legal battle over millions
Tlhagale, Mosimane and Sundowns are engaged in a bitter legal battle over the club’s demand that he pay back commission in agent’s fees in the region of R8.6
million.
Tlhagale and Mosimane are represented by Adv Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC.
Mosimane was seated in the gallery during Tlhagale’s cross-examination.
During cross-examination, Maleka asked Tlhagale why she did not tell Sundowns during their contract negotiations that she felt disrespected by the club because she is a black woman.
Maleka told Tlhagale that her allegations of racism and sexism against Sundowns are baseless.
“Why did you not tell Sundowns that they were treating you unfairly as a black woman?” asked Maleka.
Motsepe is more powerful and superior
“The club president [Patrice Motsepe] is superior and more powerful than me. So, I did not see any need to tell the club. In 2020, the club wanted to continue with the coach [Mosimane] and the coach wanted to win the FIFA Club World Cup with Sundowns, so I decided not to say anything because of all these reasons,” said Tlhagale.
The case resumes on Tuesday at 10am with Ngcukaitobi expected to re-examine Tlhagale.
Afterwards, Mosimane is expected to take the stand and testify.
The case has been set down for three days, from Monday to Wednesday.
