Motlakase ordered to pay ex-players

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Tuesday June 21, 2011 00:00

 

The two took their former employer to the Industrial Court in Selebi-Phikwe citing unfair dismissal while their contracts with the club were still running.

They dragged the club to the Department of Labour after being sacked at the end of the 2009/10 season on grounds of 'disruptive' behaviour. At the time, Molebatsi was left with 10 months on his deal while Moiserele had 18 months to go.

On Friday, the court ruled that Motlakase should pay Molebatsi and Moiserele P28, 000 and P27, 000 respectively by July 8. The court also said that if the club fails to pay by July 8, its property will be attached.

Motlakase boycotted Friday's hearing for unknown reasons. During the initial hearing last year, the club distanced itself from the players, saying they were not aware where they got contracts with the club letterhead.

Copies of the duo's contracts 'disappeared' from the Botswana Football Association (BFA) offices. However, it was later discovered that the club took the contracts supposedly to make alterations. The players had to pursue the case using their copy of the contracts.Moiserele said he was happy with the outcome of the case after the Friday hearing.

'We just wanted justice to prevail, at the end of the day. It's important that clubs learn to treat players with respect and we hope this is a lesson to every other team. Football is our job and we take it seriously; so clubs must do likewise,' Moiserele said.

When the club suspended the players in April last year, it argued that they were misleading youngsters with their unruly behaviour. The duo was suspended on April 12, 2010 after protesting management's decision to ban them from using cellphones in camp.

The letters handed to the players notifying them of their suspension partly read: 'We are suspending you pending investigations on the poor performance of the team.' Chouka were battling against relegation at the time and blamed it on players' lack of concentration. They felt the use of cellphones in camp distracted them while players cited the need to remain in constant communication with their families during pre-match camps.

The suspension was then lifted after three weeks, but when the curtain came down on the 2009/10 season the two were issued with letters of dismissal.