Our Opinion

Boost soccer, not bosses

THE controversy over R50 million commission for five soccer executives each has, once again, proved that South Africa’s soccer bosses are a law unto themselves.

Until Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s letter to Absa chief executive Steve Booysen – chastising him for allowing Irvin Khoza, Trevor Phillips, Kaizer Motaung, Mato Madlala and Peter Mancer to give themselves the commission after securing a five-year R500m sponsorship deal – it appeared as if no one was interested in calling the soccer body to order.

Manuel’s comments regarding the alleged R50m for each of the five members of the PSL’s sponsorship committee have raised widespread condemnation for what has been perceived as an easy route to self-enrichment.

In his letter, Manuel described the proposed commission as being “wrong, morally reprehensible and corrupt”.

In response, Khoza, the PSL’s chairman, has asked Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile to intervene, saying he was “disturbed” by Manuel’s comments.

Khoza went further, saying “no executive committee member will receive commission at this point” and that the issue will be discussed today.

In the meantime, Parliament’s sport committee chairman Butana Komphela has said he will be calling on Absa and PSL representatives to explain themselves. Furthermore, he also supported Manuel’s comments, saying the deal appeared corrupt.

Komphela’s comment is somewhat surprising, given that he has refrained from intervening in the problematic PSL.

Taken into context of PSL players earning pitiful salaries, R50m for five big men of soccer appear to be obscene and downright avaricious.

As Manuel rightly points out in his letter to Booysen, the R250m in commission could so easily be used to invest in developmental soccer programmes or in setting the sport’s administration on the right path to 2010.

More importantly, Manuel says Booysen – as a leading businessman – has the duty to help strengthen South Africa’s moral backbone.

It is somewhat ironic that, a short while ago, another banking institution fell foul of the SA government.

Then, FirstRand chief executive Paul Harris was chastised by government for launching a First National Bank anti-crime campaign that involved sending letters to President Thabo Mbeki.

Even though these two issues are vastly different, the outcome, hopefully, will be the same – that Booysen will be cowed into submission as was Harris.

This time, however, the government pressure would be positive – that the sponsorship deal enriches the sport rather than a few select bank accounts.