Durban City Chair: I Did Not Commit Any Fraud

Durban City chairman Farook Kadodia has expressed his disappointment at his team not being presented with the Motsepe Foundation Championship trophy, insisting that they did not commit any fraud.

City secured promotion to the Betway Premiership next season on Sunday after clinching the Motsepe Foundation Championship title with a 1-0 victory over Cape Town Spurs at Athlone Stadium. However, the club did not receive the trophy after the match.

The PSL had confirmed the previous week that there would be no trophy handover due to pending disciplinary cases involving Durban City that the PSL DRC (Disciplinary Committee) needed to resolve.

The DRC case centers around the registration of Saziso Magawana, who joined City at the beginning of the season from Marumo Gallants. The contention is that Magawana was still under contract with Gallants at the time of his departure as a free agent, a claim that Durban City disputes.

According to Sportswire sources, Magawana had left Gallants before they acquired the top-flight status of Moroka Swallows during the off-season and sold their National First Division (NFD) status to Leruma United, with Magawana allegedly intended as part of that deal.

Leruma United, JDR Stars, and Cape Town Spurs – who were relegated to the ABC Motsepe Regional League following their defeat to City – lodged protests.

Kadodia stated that a “mole” had informed these clubs, a situation that has infuriated him. He believes this is part of a pattern of sabotage he has experienced over the past two seasons from influential individuals within the system, known to Sportswire.

“That is a huge disappointment for us, and again, it is one of the obstacles I believe are being put in our way because we have all the registrations done properly,” said Kadodia.

“There is no issue with our registrations, there is no fraud in this matter, and I am still surprised that people are trying to find ways to interfere and prevent us from receiving the championship trophy.”

Magawana played 27 matches for Durban City this season. If the PSL prosecutor, Zola Majavu, finds City guilty, they could face the deduction of all points from the matches in which Magawana featured, potentially leading to their relegation.

The DRC hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

“To be honest with you, in all my years of involvement in football and having followed numerous other cases, I find this surprising,” Kadodia continued. “There was a significant case in 2022 [involving Golden Arrows fielding an ineligible player, Smiso Mbhele, and the club was fined legal fees instead of having points deducted], and people seem to have forgotten about that.”

“We need to understand that we have done nothing wrong. We followed the PSL’s procedures and registered the player accordingly.”

Kadodia emphasized the emotional impact on his team, stating, “More especially right now, it was a bitter pill for the players to swallow [not lifting the trophy], and there are people who want to stop us from that. We said [after the league issued a statement], ‘We will go on the field on Sunday and prove everyone wrong’.”

Kadodia vowed to fight the case vigorously to clear his club’s name, maintaining that there was no fraudulent activity in Magawana’s registration.

“Understand one thing: on Thursday night, I told my legal team and everyone involved that we were closing our ears to all the issues surrounding this case and focusing on the game,” he said.

“Thursday was a very bitter day for us because many fans had booked their tickets to come to Cape Town, and we are totally disappointed [about not receiving the trophy], especially the team itself, as they expected to be crowned champions on Sunday.”

“You cannot have a situation where the results, the team’s consistency, are clear, and then you are deprived of this moment. Overall, I firmly believe that the players are disappointed for all their hard work, and now they have to wait until Tuesday.”

“I don’t know what will happen on Tuesday; it could lead to arbitration. And how do you continue? How do you plan for next season? How do the players go back home and enjoy time with their families?”

“I think this is totally inconsiderate. I think the authorities at the DRC or arbitration level must consider why protests consistently arise at this crucial time of the season.”

“Believe me, this protest could have come in the first round, and the same teams could have been involved. We had a situation where Leruma United was the first team to protest in March.”

“Unfortunately, they did not pursue the protest, and then, when the team was still performing strongly and on track to win the league, we had this protest from JDR, and on Sunday, we had a protest from Cape Town Spurs.”