Court says play-offs can take place
THE promotion-relegation playoffs will go ahead as planned today after AmaZulu and Moroka Swallows failed in their court bid to stop the matches from taking place.
In a day of high drama yesterday, the Johannesburg High Court struck the interdict off the roll and ordered the two clubs to pay the Premier Soccer League’s costs of opposition.
PSL lawyer Zola Majavu confirmed the decision to the Sunday Times yesterday afternoon and Black Leopards will be allowed to host Jomo Cosmos in the first play-off match at Peter Mokaba Stadium today.
‘‘This means AmaZulu and Swallows must pay the league on an attorney and own client scale,” he said.
Yesterday was the latest instalment of the drama that began this week after it emerged that Moroka Swallows had complained to the PSL and accused a rival in the league of influencing the outcome of a match in the final weeks of the season.
Swallows, who avoided automatic relegation on the final day of the season on May 9 and moved into the play-offs with Leopards and Cosmos, are pointing an accusing finger at Free State Stars.
The Bethlehem-based Stars pulled out of the relegation dogfight, following six straight wins, to finish ninth on the league table, just missing out on qualifying for the lucrative MTN8 by two points.
It is believed the match in question was between Stars and Polokwane City on April 18, which Stars won 3-2.
But after asking the PSL to investigate, Swallows and AmaZulu — who were relegated automatically — approached the Johannesburg High Court and tried to stop the play-offs.
According to the court papers, AmaZulu and Swallows wanted Stars to be expelled from the domestic top-flight and then the two clubs would swap positions. Swallows would take Stars’ place and retain their premiership status while AmaZulu would move into the play-offs.
Majavu said it was strange the two clubs wanted to prejudge the outcome of the PSL’s own investigation into the allegations when it is still continuing.
PSL prosecutor Nande Becker has already interviewed Swallows CEO Leon Prins and other members of Polokwane City since he began the investigation a few days ago. Becker said the court application has only delayed his investigation into match-fixing.
“The investigation is ongoing. I was briefed on Wednesday and started interviewing witnesses on Thursday. And while I was in mid-flight back from interviewing witnesses in Polokwane, AmaZulu and Swallows served papers on the league.
“I had to drop the investigation to attend to the court application. By making the application Swallows, and especially AmaZulu, have delayed the investigation quite substantially. But I hope to have the investigation completed by early next week, depending on if witnesses are available.”
Contacted by the Sunday Times yesterday, Prins would only say: “I’m going to maintain what I’ve said all along, which is to say that I have no comment.”
AmaZulu general manager Peter O’Connor and marketing manager Lunga Sokhela could not be reached for comment.
PSL CEO Brand de Villiers said they were pleased as the play-offs can now continue.
I was briefed on Wednesday and started interviewing witnesses on Thursday