Premier Soccer League (PSL) club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and Team Manager Mukomafhedzi Lavhaselani has landed in hot water over an incident that occurred in their league match against Venda Football Academy.
On Friday, 27 January, VFA secured a 2-1 win with a stoppage-time winner which sparked ugly scenes at Thohoyandou Stadium 0 in which Lavhaselani and the club’s supporters have been found guilty of misconduct by the league prosecutor Adv. Zola Majavu.
“TTM and Mr. Mukomafhedzi Lavhaselani, appeared on accounts of three counts of misconduct in that, in a match between themselves and Venda Football Academy, in second respondent verbally abused the match officials, further threatened with violence and to bewitch the affected match official and to make it worse, took samples of the soil or the ground on which the match official walked on for purposed of Muti,” he stated.
“Further the spectators of the club, also pelted missiles in the direction of match officials as they were being escorted to safety by the security offices responsible on the day. Upon receipt of the charge sheet which I preferred against them, their legal representative said they would be pleading guilty as charged – that was followed up with a written plea, which was put formally before the DC.”
Majavu confirmed the plea was accepted and converted into a conviction at the PSL DC hearing before the following rulings were presented:
“The DC committee ruled as follows; 1. With regard to the first respondent, which is the club, they were fined R100,000 of which R50,000 is suspended on condition that during the period of 12 months reconned from today, they are not found guilty of the same offence.
“2. With regard to the second respondent, meaning the official of the club, he was fined a monetary amount of R80,000, R40,000 of which is suspended for 12 months on the same conditions.
“3. Both respondents with further directed to send a written apology to the league as well as the match officials and such apology must be carried on their club’s official website, the league will also upload it on their website, failing which the suspended portion of the monetary sanction would become effective immediately.
Lavhaselani was also hit with a three-match suspension, while the costs of the DC sitting would need to be covered by him and the club.
