Athletics Eswatini (AE) succeeded in their case against Manzini Athletics Club (MAC) over misconduct after the club’s failed attempt at ousting the current executive.
The club’s owner and coach Muzi Mabuza and some of his members were charged by the AE with misconduct after they were alleged to have contravened the World Athletics (WA) Integrity Code of Conduct.
The bone of contention is that Mabuza’s team and others petitioned the office of the AE president, demanding a special meeting, as per the sport’s constitution which was denied.
It was gathered that the meeting was meant to pass a vote of no confidence against the AE leadership.
The matter was heard yesterday evening at Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) head offices, where Mabuza and other MCA representatives walked out of the DC hearing before the AE, which was represented by lawyer Welile Ndlangamandla while Patrick Mkhatjwa made submissions.
Mabuza and MAC have been found guilty of all six counts by the DC chaired by Thulani Sibandze.
The DC, after hearing the initiators’ submissions in the absence of the violators, stated that submissions from the initiators and the evidence presented and there being no submissions from the violators after they decided to abandon the proceedings, they would still give out the verdict Sibandze then listed all the counts one by one.
“We are of the view that the following sanctions, in fact it is the verdict of the charges that has been put before us and this being a ruling,” he said.
Some of the counts
Count 1
In that on or about the 8th of September 2023 at or near Manzini in the district of Manzini, the violators failed and/or neglected and/or omitted to conduct themselves in a proper conduct by referring to themselves as ‘not only members but real owners and/or athletics people’,
Count 2
In that on or about the 8th of September 2023 at or near Manzini in the district of Manzini, the violators wrote to the initiators and made discriminatory averments in that within Athletics Eswatini.
Count 3
In that on or about the 19th of September 2023 at or near Manzini in the district of Manzini, the violators sent a voice audio to the president of National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) one Tendai Tagara wherein they made discriminatory utterancesagainst the AE President.
