South African duo Benedict Vilakazi and Manqoba Ngwenya have successfully terminated their contracts with Notwane. The decision to release the players from their contracts was made by the Players’ Status Committee (PSC) on Monday, ending their four-month association with the club. Though made last week Thursday, the decision came after the independent body deliberated on the controversial case. Botswana Premier League chief executive officer, Bennet Mamelodi confirmed the news in an interview with this publication. The players have been inactive since participating in the 1-0 defeat against BDF XI at SSKB last month.
Unfulfilled promises and poor player welfare by the club prompted the players to report the matter to the BPL who later referred it to the PSC. The players have not received their salaries and signing on fees since joining the club in the transfer window; there were reportedly expected to be the highest earning players in the league but were left frustrated.
The players, who were evicted and left wandering without accommodation were saved by the the intervention of Notwane elders and the Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) while awaiting judgement on their cases.
Vilakazi told Gazette Sport that he is delighted with the outcome of the case. “I am very happy to have finally resolved this issue. It has been hectic for the past few weeks. The FUB has helped us a lot; their assistance has been second to none. They did a very good job, without them we would have been in deep trouble. They always do a lot of good work behind the scenes and they deserve all the credit for helping us,” said the former Orlando Pirates player. Despite a turbulent time in local football, the midfielder confessed his admiration for Botswana football and said he would welcome any offer to stay in the beMobile Premier League. “I love football; any team that provides me with an opportunity to play would be welcome. I would be ready to go back to playing and do what I do best. I would never rule out joining another Botswana based club because all I want is to play football again,” continued Vilakazi. The South African duo’s release follows that of Zimbabwean defender Thulani Moyo who received his clearance last week. Vilakazi joined the club from Swaziland side Malanti Chiefs while Ngwenya joined from Alexandra United during the transfer window.