The legal battle between the Polokwane municipality and Marumo Gallants was heard on Thursday after the municipality challenged Gallants’ decision to move their game against Kaizer Chiefs to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
The municipality took the matter to court after Gallants chose not to honour the fixture at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, which they feel is a breach of contract by Gallants, who have an agreement to play all their fixtures at the Polokwane-based Stadium.
iDiski Times journalist Lethabo Kganyago was at the court hearing on Thursday and has since explained the latest findings by Judge Gerrit Muller after 116 tickets had already been sold for the Peter Makaba Stadium.
“In this urgent application, the applicant seeks an order to stop a soccer match scheduled to be played on Saturday at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenberg and to be ordered the game to be played in Polokwane pending an arbitration to be instituted in terms of clause 70 in an agreement called the event hosting partnership agreement,” he said on Friday morning.
“[This] was entered into the applicant and the first respondent Marumo Gallants FC, the game is between Marumo Gallants and Kaizer Chiefs. It seems from the letter, the company has booked the stadium for the DStv Premiership fixture between Marumo Gallants between Kaizer Chiefs for this Saturday, 11 September.”
What has since transpired is the parties will return back to court as Muller did not give a ruling on whether the game will go ahead or not because he believes another party, which is Royal Bafokeng has not been part of this.
The lawyers for the Polokwane municipality have now sent documents to the Royal Bafokeng so they can be part of this and proceedings will resume at 3pm today or 2pm tomorrow, which the fixture now being in major doubt of being played.
Allegations have also been made that Kaizer Chiefs had paid Gallants in order to move the fixture to Rustenberg, the venue listed as a third alternative venue for Gallants – which the Polokwane municipality – who view the fixture as one of the main sources of income as per their agreement to host the club – is ethically incorrect.
