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Premier Soccer League (PSL) chairperson Irvin Khoza maintains that the appointment of Mato Madlala as interim chief executive does not constitute a conflict of interest.
“This is just a stopgap measure and there is nothing wrong with that. She is there to give guidance and oversee operations. Anyway, the management of the league is the responsibility of the executive,” said Khoza this week.
The Golden Arrows chairperson and PSL executive member has taken over from the league’s outgoing chief executive Brand de Villiers, until a replacement can be found. Khoza said the executive would meet early next month to decide on the way forward to fill the vacant position.
“The meeting will determine if we headhunt from within or outside, or advertise the position. There is no timeline for that, but the executive will decide.”
Madlala heads the league’s legal department and also serves in its finance committee.
“We needed a senior person who can take decisions and account to the executive. For example, if Dennis Mumble [Safa CEO] wants something, he must deal with someone senior in the office. There are issues that she won’t deal with, like contracts of players and disciplinary issues. She can’t decide or prosecute, because there are people responsible for that.”
Khoza said there were people employed to deal with football matters (Derek Blanckensee), the National Football Division (NFD) (Selwyn van Wyk), disciplinary issues (the dispute resolution chamber) and stadium infrastructure (Professor Ronnie Schloss), all of which Madlala would not be involved with.
“Anyway, there are only two fixtures left between now and December. In fact, I called a meeting with the senior staff members explaining her role as if I knew it would come out. She will handle Brand’s exit interview and report back to the executive. She is there to implement members’ rules and it is not about her feelings or about her club. Rules are rules.”
. Meanwhile, Khoza said they would soon implement the club-licensing system, which could see those not complying losing their licences. He said they would set up a three-member first-instance body.
“This will be an independent body and we are looking at a retired judge, a finance person and maybe someone with a sports background.
“Safa has already approved and ratified our compliance manual and clubs will be able to appeal through Safa if their licences are revoked.”
Some of the stringent conditions in the manual include requirements relating to:
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Infrastructure;
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Youth structures, with at least two developmental teams for every club;
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Proper medical care; and
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Financial management, as all the clubs must be going concerns that ensure there is no money laundering, showing proper governance and being able to meet their financial obligations.
On the issue of the NFD, Khoza said they would hold a board-of-governors seminar, where the decision would be taken about clubs wanting an independent league.
He said the league was in a good financial state and clubs had already benefited from it. He said Absa Premiership clubs were paid almost R3 million each to prepare their teams and a further R4 million as support towards club licensing.
Khoza said the total given to each club was in the region of at least R25 million a year, which included their monthly grants of R1.5 million.
He said the NFD clubs also received something towards club licensing and preparation for the season.
With current sponsorships coming to an end in 2017, Khoza said he was confident about renewing them.
