Chippa United midfielder Andile Jali has lost his R5,7-million contractual damage case against his former club Moroka Swallows, now Marumo Gallants after the PSL dispute resolution chamber (DRC) dismissed his case this past week.
Gallants, who bought the status of Swallows, have inherited the Dube Birds’ contractual obligations with their previous staff.
Gallants’ owners relocated the club to Bloemfontein after the acquisition of the status.
Jali was claiming compensation for unfair dismissal after his contract was terminated.
This is after the players had engaged in what the club called an “illegal strike” in December 2023, when several players demanded early payment before Christmas and boycotted a league fixture.
At the time, Jali wanted to be paid in full and to be reinstated back into the team, but the case was struck off the roll by the DRC.
According to the DRC papers which Sunday World has seen, Jali’s initial salary was R185 000 per month. There was an option, which was to be automatically activated, had Jali played in two-thirds or more of Swallows’ official games in the 2023/2024 season. The gross agreed salary was R203 500 per month.
“When the players went on a strike, Swallows did not owe them any money. They wanted to be paid on December 22 when their contracts provide that they will get their salaries on the last working day of the month,” said Gallants lawyer Leruma Thobejane.
The relentless Jali continued his fight but last week, the DRC ordered that the claim for unfair dismissal be dismissed.
The respondent (Gallants) was ordered to only pay the applicant (Jali) the sum R880 000 and that there shall be no order as to costs.
The R880 000 is for the image rights and Thobejane says that they are going to appeal the order.
“We are going to file an appeal. Those image rights belong to Jali’s agent Mike Makaab, who sold them to Swallows,” said Thobejane.
