TS Galaxy hold crisis talks over players, staff's unpaid salaries

It would appear that the trip to Turkey during the FIFA World Cup break towards the end of last year has come at a heavy cost, with SABC Sport led to believe that six players – Vuyo Mere, Ebrahim Seedat, Masilake Phohlongo, Nkosikhona Radebe, Kamogelo Sebelebele, and Lebone Seema – have gone without a salary for the past two months. 

The public broadcaster’s sports desk is in possession of a recorded meeting held at the club’s training grounds in Sturrock Park this week, where these matters were addressed, albeit in the absence of chairman Tim Sukazi. 

According to sources at Galaxy, the much-publicised trip to Turkey to play four friendly matches over 20 days around the holidays is estimated to have cost around R3.4-million and it is understood this was facilitated without the backing of a sponsor. 

Soon after The Rockets returned from abroad, the players in question, as well as a few members of staff – excluding head coach Sead Ramovic, did not receive their full salaries and have been waiting ever since. 

Galaxy subsequently purchased the status of a women's team in the Hollywoodbets Super League, which would also not have come cheap. 

Sukazi is yet to make a media statement addressing the allegations, while Ramovic had a heated argument with journalists at a press conference last month in his attempts to deny the story around unpaid wages. 

But this week’s meeting has been revealing. It was Sukazi’s daughter and team manager, Njabulo Sukazi, who took the role of management during the crisis talks. 

"The chairman himself is a reasonable guy. I just want to ask if anyone of you has come forward and asked for a staff meeting with him? My understanding is that he came to training and spoke to some of you guys individually," explained Njabulo. 

"Yes, he hasn’t come now because he is trying to work on this situation that we are in right now for you guys. But you do not know that. It’s important to enquire at times – it’s not like we enjoy you guys not being paid. We hate it. It’s getting difficult, but we are trying."

She insinuated that she too had not been paid, but told those in the room that the boss was scrambling to try to settle at least half of the salaries owed. 

“The reason why they are not here today, as the 1st [March] to come address you, it’ not that they don’t find it important. But they want to receive these funds to help you by today. I know they have been saying they will help since last month. It’s not easy to raise R1-million just like that, but they are trying. It’s not like they want you to not feed your families,” the team manager added. 

SABC Sport reported recently that the SA Football Players’ Union were keen on getting involved and resolving the issues, but the meeting then indicates the saga continues.  

As a parting shot during the discussions, coach Ramovic then promised to speak to Sukazi to at least make provision in the remaining nine DStv Premiership matches, adding that retaining the topflight status would attract sponsors.