The ructions within the Makhado Local Football Association (MLFA) are continuing, with teams threatening to boycott the league's activities. The teams are unhappy about various matters, such as the removal of Itani Netshivhulani as general-secretary and because no prize money had allegedly been awarded to the winners in the 2021/22 season.
A meeting with team officials was held on 29 October, during which some of the problems were raised and discussed. The threat to boycott the league activities, which is set to start in a month's time, was made.
SAFA Vhembe's decision to remove Itani "Muraida" Netshivhulani as general-secretary again came under scrutiny. This issue seems set to split the association. Netshivhulani was elected to this position on 30 July this year during the congress held at the Makhado Show Grounds.
A dispute arose as to Netshivulani's home address. Netshivhulana has addresses in both Tshithuthuni and Siloam village. Whereas the first falls within the Thulamela area, Siloam is regarded as a soft boundary by the local football association. Netshivhulana's team, Muraida FC, have their home ground at Sendedza village, which falls under the Makhado Local Municipality.
A spokesperson for the teams that are unhappy about the manner in which the MLFA conducts its affairs, Mr Shonisani Matshoko, said last week that the teams were refusing to pay affiliation fees. He accused the MLFA of "side-lining us in favour of other streams". Matshoko said that the MLFA was not consistent in the way they made decisions. He used the example of the first deputy-chairperson of the association, Mr MP Rambau, who he alleges comes from Ha-Davhana in the Collins Chabane municipal area.
"We are also fighting the issue of our teams being fined, which were too high," he said. Matshoko accused MLFA of promoting teams that did not qualify. The dissenting teams now want SAFA Vhembe to address the teams and answer their questions.
MLFA league chairperson Freddy Phathela said that the teams had no right to simply boycott the games. "We are going to deal with these people. We are running this league in line with the Safa constitution," he said.
Phathela said that the issue of Netshivhulana's removal would be handled by Safa Vhembe. Phathela said that Netshivhulana had appealed against his removal and the date of his appeal was still to be decided. As far as the complaint about prize money was concerned, he said that this was not handed out during a prize-giving ceremony but deposited directly into the accounts of the teams. The teams were requested to send their bank details to the league office.
Phathela said that if the team officials disputed the residential area of Rambau, they must take this up with the league organisers.