Shocking salary disparities between Mamelodi Sundowns coaches Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi have been exposed in the employment contracts they submitted to the Joburg High Court last month.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that Mokwena and Mngqithi’s salaries were poles apart, even though they were both employed as assistant coaches of the team’s former coach, Pitso Mosimane, and rendered the same services.
According to Mokwena’s contract, which ends this month, the Brazilian coach earned R180 000 per month when he joined the club on July 1, 2020, as Mosimane’s assistant coach.
The amount was R200 000 less than what the club paid Mngqithi per month, who earned R380 000 per month in the same period.
The contract does not state that Mokwena’s salary was bumped up when he was appointed as the club’s head coach after Mosimane’s departure.
And if his salary has not been hiked, it means Mokwena is still earning R260 000 less than Mngqithi.
Mngqithi, whose contract also ends in June this year, is currently earning R440 000 per month after the club increased his salary twice over the past two seasons.
According to Mokwena’s contract, which we have seen, Sundowns did not only pay him R180 000 per month but also a signing-on fee of R720 000.
“As remuneration for the services to be rendered by the employee in terms of this agreement, the club shall pay to the employee, on the last business day of each month.
“The employee shall earn an annual gross remuneration package of R2.880 000 for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, payable as follows: a gross monthly salary of R180 000 for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021; and a signing-on fee of R720 000 payable on or before 31 July 2020; thereafter, the remuneration package shall be adjusted annually according to CPI on each anniversary date.”
Mokwena took home less, according to the contract, because the club deducted pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) income tax and any other relevant statutory levies.
The contract further stipulates that the club would pay Mokwena a net performance bonus of between R5 000 and R8 000 in respect of each game won by the club, but would still deduct PAYE taxes from it.
“The club may pay the assistant coach bonuses as may be applicable to other members of the coaching team from time to time in terms of the club’s policies and bonus structures.
“In respect of Premiership League match wins, the assistant coach will receive a net performance bonus of between R5 000 and R8 000 in respect of each game won by the club. The payment of this performance bonus is made by the club in its sole discretion, may be changed in accordance with the club’s policies and bonus structures from time to time, and shall be payable within 30 days after the win takes place,” reads the contract.
The club also said it was an obligation for Mokwena to belong to its group life insurance scheme and to belong to a medical aid scheme approved by the club.
Like Mngqithi, Sundowns had set goals or targets for Mokwena,
The club said that for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021, Mokwena was supposed to ensure that the club won the 2020/2021 Premier Soccer League, the 2020/2021, CAF Champions League, the 2020 MTN8 Cup, the 2020 Telkom Knockout Cup, or the Nedbank Cup 2021.
The club set the same targets for Mokwena for the 2021/2022 , 2022/2023, and 2023/2024 seasons.
It further stated it had the right to terminate his contract if he failed to deliver on his mandate.
Mokwena and Mngqithi’s salaries were revealed in the employment contracts they submitted to court after being subpoenaed by Mosimane and his wife Moira Tlhagale’s lawyers last month to do so.
The lawyers are opposing Sundowns’ demand for Africa’s best coach and his wife, who is his agent, to pay back more than the R8-million commission they received from the club as he left before the end of his contract with the Chloorkop side.
The club argued the contract they both signed contained a claw-back clause, which stipulated they should pay back the commission in the event Mosimane left the team before the end of his contractual term.
Mosimane and his wife argued the clause was unconstitutional and discriminatory, as Mokwena and Mngqithi did not have the same punitive clauses in their contracts of employment .
They asked Mokwena and Mngqithi to submit their contracts for scrutiny.
