Chaos erupts at Kings HQ

The Eastern Cape Union has been battling financial difficulty, which forced SARU to step in and take over the management.

The AGM was meant to go ahead on Saturday morning, however, chaos erupted before it started as clubs who are alleged to not be registered were denied entry. The procedure is that each club must pay a fee of R100 to register themselves for the year but this is normally done at the end of the previous year.

However, due to last year's (2015) issues, clubs were not registered. Club registration was opened from 10.00 until 11.00 today (Saturday, January 30) but not all clubs were informed about the process. Some were allowed into the meeting while others left.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Mr Amir Mpayipeli of SpringRose club in New Brighton was denied entry into the AGM. Upon querying the matter it emerged that two individuals – namely Mr Sbidla Majola and Mr Duma Lamani – who happen to be acquaintances of Mr Cheeky Watson, were in the meeting as representatives of SpringRose despite them having no interest in the club itself.

Mr Mpayipeli was eventually allowed to enter the meeting as an observer, on agreement that no-one would speak for SpringRose. According to two clubs, the earlier altercation occurred as a result of bogus delegates being allowed into the meeting.

Mr Mpayipeli could not be reached for confirmation.

Further unconfirmed reports suggests that the audited financial report was not signed by the Exec as they were not adopted by the quorum.

A Special General Meeting will due to be held on February 28 as items on the Agenda were not addressed. The SGM will deal with these matters.

*A day earlier, the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Ratepayers Association chairman Kobus Gerber opened a case of money laundering, theft and corruption against Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium operator Access Management, the directors of the EP Kings and senior municipal budget and treasury official Nadia Gerwel.

The case is based on a secret national Treasury report which said Access Management was part of a conspiracy to siphon money from the municipality. Access claimed that all payments made were on the instruction of the municipality and in accordance with its stadium management contract.

The charges stem from the alleged abuse of funds that were channeled from the Integrated Public Transport System, as well as general ratepayers funds, which were illegally redirected to EP Rugby to pay salaries and running costs.

"This alleged money laundering, theft and corruption is believed to have been an ongoing problem that has been prevalent from the moment the stadium operator took over in 2009 and is believed to have continued unabated, right through to 2015," Gerber said.

The case will be forwarded to the Hawks for further investigation.