The South African Football Association (SAFA) has lambasted the move by GladAfrica side, Royal AM, to refer their promotion dispute with the PSL to an ordinary court of law.
Royal AM, who are fighting in the courts to be declared automatic winners of the NFD, failed to honour their home play-off fixture against Chippa United on Tuesday afternoon.
Chippa was awarded the three points, and the KwaZulu-Natal side now face further disciplinary action from the National Soccer League for failing to honour an official fixture.
SAFA chief executive Advocate, Tebogo Motlanthe, says they are totally against the idea of taking this matter to court.
“As the South African Football Association first we had said despite all these rights that are enshrined in the constitution which we can not go against but we are saying arbitration awards are binding, and I think the decision of judge Sunderland has proven in a way what we’ve been saying and as we have said to all key stakeholders when you take a football matter to an ordinary court of law they take their own time. For instance, the appeal court does not have an urgency role if it takes two months who does it affect? it affects everyone,” says Motlanthe.
Motlanthe says if Royal AM were not happy with the outcome of the arbitration process, they had the right to refer the matter to the world football governing body, FIFA, for a speedy resolution.
“The arbitration award is final and binding if people are not happy they can go to Zurich and appeal it because they at least they know the urgency. We know how congested is our court rolls in this country with State Capture referring cases there so once it gets out of control of football it’s going to prejudice players it’s going to prejudice clubs. We condemn the usage of the ordinary court of law to resolve football disputes,” he says.
